An MMA Fighter And Their Stressful Life

We see them on TV our favorite fighters walking to the cage with the newest pair of shoes, cool gadgets, or shirts plastered with sponsors; we see them making thousands of dollars every fight. We assume they are on top of the world, living a stress free life, spending money and killing time; we assumed wrong. What we don’t see is what goes on when the cameras turn off; how life affects them just as much as it affects us.

Mark Munoz, recently removed from the UFC rankings, gave me some insight into his everyday life. We spoke on his future in MMA, and who he would like to fight next. “I’m continuing in MMA, negotiating a new contract with the UFC” Munoz says. [He has signed a new contract]  “I’d like to fight anyone I’ve lost to.”

I then asked what he plans to do differently to make sure he keeps his roster spot with the company. “I plan to change a lot of my everyday life in general, to make sure I am not putting unnecessary stress on myself before my fight” said Munoz. “I’m not just a fighter, I am a father of 4, a husband to a beautiful wife, a gym owner, motivational speaker, mma and wrestling coach.” We forget that in order to compete at this level a fighter must train as much as possible. Easy enough for a fighter with no other obligations. Mark Munoz is not one of those fighters.

Outsiders look at his last few fights and immediately call for his removal. People suggest that a man who has all day to train should perform better. What they don’t realize is some fighters are juggling too much at once. “I have a lot of coals in my fire. I need to limit some of what I do to get rest and recovery time.” With his upcoming rehab, Munoz will have plenty of recovery time. We hope to see him push through the obstacles and work his way back into the top 10 rankings.

Follow Marcelino Pena on Twitter @Chale_Lou

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