WHERE DOES A FIGHTER FIND THE TIME?
Posted on | June 21, 2007 | No Comments
Full-Time Fighter?
By: Tristan Yunker
A lot of people ask me, “Tristan, isn’t it difficult to be so good at fighting while still maintaining a full-time job?” (Oddly enough, most people around me are that well spoken.) But the answer, quite simply, is… “Yes, it is unbelievably hard.” Yet somehow I manage to prevail, all the while balancing training, matchmaking for Legends of Fighting, working as a computer consultant, and occasionally, if I’m lucky, I get to squeeze in a fight or two. As glamorous a lifestyle as it may be, being a professional fighter isn’t as effortless as I make it look.
I’ve been fighting professionally for approximately a year and a half now, maintaining a full-time job the entire duration. Now, I’m sure I’m not the first, and I’m even more sure that I won’t be the last, but fighting is a way of life that requires sacrifice. And unfortunately, most of that sacrifice (at least towards the beginning of one’s career) occurs in the monetary form.
Now I’m not saying I’m in it for the money, because that definitely is not the case. But this kind of dilemma certainly produces a “Catch 22” scenario… in order to train I need to make money, in order to make money I need to work, but the more I work the more it takes away from my training. See the problem? Most casual fans of the sport don’t understand the added expenses that go along with proper training and nutrition. So I have decided take it upon my shoulders to enlighten the uninformed population.
To the average observer Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is nothing more than a glorified street fight. But to those involved, MMA is a careful and meticulous science, incorporating a combination of proper training, coaching, diet and nutrition, and natural athletic ability. Only the last of which doesn’t involve some form of financial expenditure.
Here’s a simple breakdown of an average fighter’s expenses:
Gym dues: $100 per month.
Management fees: 20% of fight purse.
Supplemental nutrition: $75 per week.
Completely dominating your opponent: Priceless.
Sorry, I had to throw that last part in there just for kicks, but you get the idea. Beginning with initial preparations, to weight cutting (which we’ll discuss in my next piece), all the way to the fight itself, fighting isn’t just a stress on the body, it’s a strain on the mind and personal life as well.
-Tristan Yunker