Nick Diaz: Extreme Conditioning Gives Me a Mental Edge

Quote :

“Fighters are afraid of conditioning, they are afraid of getting tired, but I don’t want to have anxiety or be afraid of anything. I can go 100 percent out there and never have to worry about getting tired. Everybody says fighting is 90 percent mental, and it’s true. Knowing you can go 15 minutes or 25 minutes without any problem can help you sustain that mental advantage over your opponent… I just like to race. It gives me something to build for. During the triathlon season, I’ll probably race every two weeks. I get stronger and stronger when building up to the race. After a race, a lot of people will crash and take their foot off the gas, but I’ll keep building and building until I have to fight. I have a reason not to crash, and I try to keep the ball rolling until fight night… Doing the races keeps me in shape. By the time a fight comes around, I’m already in shape and ready to go. I don’t have to get in shape for fights. When I am in the gym, I train mixed martial arts, I don’t need to train to get in shape. I am already in shape… If I’m not running, I’m going to go for a swim or go on a bike ride. I don’t like being stationary at any point during training.”

The self-proclaimed hardest worker in Mixed Martial Arts, Nick Diaz recently told thehuffingtonpost.com the reason why he has chosen to be a two sport athlete and how that helps him perform once in the cage.

Triathletes are cardio machines, they stretch the limits of endurance with every competition and Diaz credits that type of cardio and training to his mental toughness once inside the cage.

Other MMA Fighters go through circuit training and have a strength and conditioning camp prior to fight night, but Diaz lives this lifestyle instead of isolating his endurance training for fight camps.

BJPenn.com

It's a dull edge, but it's an edge.

That actually makes perfect sense..... which is a little odd, considering it's coming from Diaz.

That's the funniest part about that quote; it's completely coherent and easy to follow- not your typical Nick Diaz quote.

Shit, I hope this doesn't mean he's "changing". If he comes out flat Saturday, I'm blaming it soley on his newfound demeanor.

He's got the edge over most mma fighters. He is a real Paleo Cave-Man without the meat lol. He jogs/runs, swims, bikes, fights, eats raw foods.

He makes a good point, by constantly staying in shape as a sort of hobby he stays in fighting shape and gets more time to focus on actual fighting.