Whenever you hear fighters talk in the build up to fights they generally say the same thing……..
training has been awesome,i’m in the best shape of my life,i’ve never been better technically or i’ve been sprinkled with magic pixie dust that makes me invincible………
just for a change i’d like to hear guys being honest before the fight rather than making excuses afterwards.
now…i’m not naive enough to think it’ll ever happen as fighters have to be 100% confident and mentally strong to the point of self delusion…but you know….it’d be reassuring for guys like myself who are just starting out on their fighting careers to know that even the top pros go through the same shit.
this is the last week of my first pro fight camp and i’ve been thinking a lot about how it went compared with how i thought it was going to be.
when not rolling around on the ground with sweaty dudes i do actually work for a living and when i work i’m away from the gym 24/7 so i have a lot of time to think,plan ahead and generally get excited about training.
on my last job before this fight camp i mustve written about 5/6 different fight camp plans,numerous training ideas,techniques etc….i also used to sit and visualise training and fighting in the teeshack all the time.
i used to get guys coming in for their break and say to me…ach cheer up son….you’ll be home soon.
all the while i’d be thinking……’hmm…do i let them continue to think i’m miserable OR do i tell them what i’m thinking about… hanging off some dudes back or my best pass to full mount?’
for the record,i just let them think i was miserable.
looking back over the past 6 weeks i cant say i’m totally happy with the way things have gone.
i feel i wasnt hitting enough pads at the start,probably over doing the cardio,my sparring was awful….getting hit way too much,takedown defense and takedowns were non exsistant,while on the ground i wasnt moving as well as before and getting smashed most of the time.
all of this came to a head about 3 weeks ago…..i was fed up….couldnt be arsed doing anything at all….ended up going to the gym and doing half a session then just going home.eventually i stopped even goin to the gym for about 3 days…..anyone who knows me know that this is a lifetime for me.
in that time off i sulked a fair bit….ate a shit load and knocked out brock lesnar with crocop with about 5 headkicks on the ufc (time not totally wasted then)….i also considered a lot whether i was going to pull from the fight or even whether this was really for me.(again for those that know me……that isnt me)
thankfully i got a text from a good mate who took the time to chat with me,find out what was up and persuade me to at least come into the gym for a chat.went to the gym the next day and managed to get a lot it of my chest and when i was there i ended up reading an article on over training.
as i read through i noticed a lot of it rang true for me.they had a table at the side with basic symptoms and i think i ticked 6/7 out of 11. things started to make a bit more sense now…….people always tell me i’m training too much but i never really listened or thought they were just messing me about.
since then….thing have been on the up and up.sparring has been gradually getting sharper…….defenses tighter on feet,wrestling and on the ground…moving more freely and more relaxed as a whole, culminating as a whole tonight in sparring.
felt freaking awesome in every range and really looking forward to next week.
oh and if anyone asks me how fight prep has been…….”training has been awesome,i’m in the best shape of my life,i’ve never been better technically or i’ve been sprinkled with magic pixie dust that makes me invincible………” :D
in the meantime i’ll be dieting and cutting weight…..started drinking a shed load of water today which in turn means goin to the pisser every 10 mins…..dreading public transport!!!
day off tomorrow but i’ll prob head to the gym as Frankie is singing for the Queen in Braemar.
oh and she brought he totally purple reebok pumps back from NYC…my girlfriend rocks
