UFC fight night 42 fight week

The fight week for UFC fight night 42 has been great. We arrived in Albuquerque on Sunday which is a little bit earlier than usual. The UFC normally flys the fighters in on the Tuesday before the fight but with Alburqueque being at altitude we came in a bit early to make sure Ross was acclimatised. 

On the Sunday night we did a sprint session which ticked a couple of boxes by giving Ross his last conditioning session but also exposing Ross to the altitude and opening up his lungs. Ross felt great and smashed the sprint session and I didn't record any difference in performance due to the altitude but Ross did comment that his throat was dry. 

In an attempt to combat any effect on performance from the altitude in Alburqueque we found an altitude chamber at Teesside university for Ross to use during camp while he was in England. He did two sessions a week in the chamber and did a mix of pads, sprints and high interval training. We definitely recorded an improvement in performance particularly in relation to recovery.

On the Monday we had no obligations with the UFC so we fit in a bit of sight seeing, training and regeneration. We travelled a couple of hours north into the mountains and went to a natural hot mineral spring. We went for a run through the mountains along one of the hiking trails, much to the bemusement   of the other hikers on the trail and stopped halfway along the trail and did a few rounds of shadow boxing and light hand pads, mostly working on specific techniques and combinations that we have been working during camp.

I also took Ross through some guided mediation and breathing techniques.

These past few camps we have been integrating mindfulness into Ross's training program and he has really noticed a benefit. As with all things meditation is something you have to train and I have noticed how much better he has got and also how much deeper into the meditation he can go. He is in a great place mentally and I know we will see that this Saturday night.

We ran back to the springs and Ross had a full body massage. Nothing too heavy or deep but just enough to stimulate circulation and release any tension in his muscles. We then sat in the  hot mineral springs and relaxed for about an hour. There were four springs and they were all different in their mineral content and therefore had different healing properties. The energy and power in the water was tangible and incredibly rejuvenating it was similar to the feeling you can get from being in the sea.

On the Tuesday we signed in with the UFC and reported to the man behind the UFC, Burt Watson. He's such a high energy person and always makes you feel amazing just by being around him. Burt likes to check the fighters weight just to monitor where the fighter is and if there is anything to be concerned about. Ross's weight has been great for this whole camp and he is well on schedule for a healthy and happy weight cut. At this point we also get the schedule for any media obligations like photos, interviews etc

Fortunately we didn't have anything to do on the Tuesday so we went for a bit of stight seeing and active recovery. We went into the hills again for a hike but didn't venture to far due to the bear and cougar warning! 

We also did a bit of a Breaking Bad tour and visited a few sites from the show. Ross is a big fan so loved seeing all the places the show was filmed, the lady who owned the house we were taking pictures of didn't seem to like it as much though so we made a swift exit when she came out of the house.

That evening we did some training in the workout rooms in the hotel. Nothing too intense just some pads, Dutch drills and light rolling. The workout room was hot though so it made for a good workout and also great for a stretch and foam roller routine.

On the Wednesday there was a few things to do for the UFC like a photo shoot, pre fight video interview and also some press interviews over the phone.

In between that we were able to fit in a trip to the mall and I think this is the first time ever Ross hasn't bought a par of trainers during fight week but that's only because he couldn't fit anymore in his bag! I however thought it would be rude to break the tradition so got a pair of Nike prestos. Fresh!

We had our last training session on Wednesday night and it was very similar to Tuesday nights workout. Ross was feeling sharp and powerful and that's largely due to how well the weight cut has been going and how high his energy levels have been this week.

The excitement is building now and we are grateful everyday for doing a job we love and getting to travel the world while we do it.

The weight cut is next on the list of things to do but with my plan and Ross's professionalism it will be easy and healthy and he will be ready to go come Saturday night!