Khabib Nurmagomedov: If you want to win in UFC, you need to 'go crazy' in training

It's no secret mixed martial arts (MMA) is a tough and brutal sport.

And I don't mean the fights themselves, as the general consensus is that the training leading up to the actual bouts is sometimes more grueling. That's why injuries and fight cancellations -- unfortunately -- are the norm in this sport.

Take Khabib Nurmagomedov for example. After coming off a near year-long layoff due to injury, "The Eagle" was sidelined, yet again, two weeks prior to his comeback fight against Donald Cerrone at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015.

And while his head trainer at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) says his recent setback was nothing more than a "freak accident," Khabib is quick to remind fans that if you want to be successful inside the Octagon, you need to "go crazy" in the training room.

"Fans sometimes talk crazy, but it's okay," Khabib said during a recent guest spot on The MMA Hour (via Bloody Elbow). "I understand fans are a little bit upset, I'm upset too. I'm not happy. One year, I [don't] fight. This is not good news for me, not good news for fans. I understand this."

After the famed gym came under fire for its "stone age" methods, UFC heavyweight champion and AKA member, Cain Velasquez, quickly came to the defense of his camp by saying they will keep training hard despite what others think.

But even if you try and take a "safer" approach, injuries are inevitable in a contact sport, more so if you go hard day in and day out like Nurmagomedov. As he sees it, the only way to be successful in the actual fight is to go all out in practice.

However, on the heels of his latest injury, "The Eagle" vows to take a smarter approach moving forward.

"If you want to win, you need to go crazy," the Dagestani continued. "MMA every day is high level, you need to be training hard, to push yourself. MMA all the time has injuries. Next time, I think I train a little bit more smart. I think this is very good experience for me."

As far as pushing yourself in training, Daniel Cormier agrees with his AKA stablemate, as he was recently quoted as saying that he and Cain "don't spar, we fight."

Something UFC President Dana White, I'm sure, doesn't like to hear.