Amasinger: Time for work

Eurosport - Sun, 01 Nov 14:50:00 2009

In my last blog I tried to explain what goes into making weight. Once that half of the job is done the next is to fight. After the weigh-in I really feel like I am at work and I know I have a job to do.

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS; Dean Amasinger, The Ultimate Fighter, UFC - 0

That period between the weigh-in and the fight is also considered work because I have to rehydrate and refuel myself in a professional way so that when I go back to into the cage I am recovered from the weight cut.

For the first hour after the weigh-in I don't eat because it is more important that I rehydrate and eating can reduce the absorption of water and delay my rehydration.

I also don't just drink water. It is crucial that I replenish the salts or electrolytes that I lost during the weight cut so that I don't cramp and my muscles can work properly. I use a drink called dioralyte that is actually meant for rehydration after extended periods of vomiting or diarrhoea but it does the trick.

I only go back to water after drinking two to three litres of dioralyte.

When I begin eating I eat the opposite of what I had been eating in that week to cut weight. Carbs are the dish of the day and protein is less important but still plays a role. I try to stay away from fatty foods because that can slow digestion but rice and pasta are my two favourite things.

You can pretty much guarantee that after a weigh-in you will find the nearest Nandos full of fighters.

I will eat a 1/4 chicken with a large portion of rice, sweet potato mash and a corn on the cob. I don't want to make the mistake of gorging myself with one big meal so I try and eat every one to two hours with medium size meals for at least six to eight hours after the weigh-in.

On the night before the fight and the day of the fight I like to be with people that I am relaxed around and who I can have a laugh with. I am always with my fiancé and a couple of friends and team-mates. I like to watch a film or go to the cinema and although I am focused, I try to stay relaxed and not dwell on the fight too much.

When I arrive at the venue there is normally a rules meeting but I missed this one because I was stuck in traffic. I had a medical as soon as I got to the Troxy and they passed me as fit. It's just a precaution but they take your heart rate, blood pressure and check your reactions and for any concussions. My heart rate was 55 bpm which is a bit higher than normal but I was starting to think about the fight so that may have raised it.

I was third from the end of the card so I knew I had a lot of time to kill and I didn't want to waste nervous energy by warming up too much or going over the fight excessively. I decided to go into the crowd and watch the first few fights.

There was an interval in the show, then two fights until mine so when the interval came I got my hands wrapped. After that I did a bit of skipping to warm up then stretched and loosened my body up. At this point I am going over the gameplan in my head and getting my 'gameface' on. I did some grappling drills with my coach Nathan Leverton and some Thai pads and movement with Paul Daley.

The fight before mine was quick and a runner came in and said, "It's time." I was ready to go and as I walked down to the tunnel Paul was shouting at me psyching me up: "You're in a different league!" "This guy isn't ready for you!" "He's got no way of beating you, you're better than him everywhere!"

I could feel myself getting more and more psyched up and more and more ready.

My whole team was there to support me and with me in the changing room. As I turned to say goodbye to them before entering the cage I remember thinking to myself, "I train with these guys every day and there is no way he can beat me."

I was supremely confident and I walked in the cage ready for battle. When the bell went I could see he was nervous by the way he was moving. I threw a one-two low kick and he stepped back, as he came back in I level changed and took him down. The plan from here was to pound him out but after a couple of shots he covered up and left his arm in the wrong position. I grabbed it and slipped into an arm triangle, passed to side-control and finalised the choke.

The feeling of winning cannot be duplicated in any other facet of life. It is the reason I fight and it is like a drug to me. Words evade me to describe how good it is when the ref pulls you off someone and you know at that split second you've won.

I had put a lot of hard work into training for this fight and made a lot of sacrifices but none of it would have been possible without the team I have around me. Firstly I would like to thank my beautiful fiancé for putting up with half a boyfriend while I am in fight camp.

I couldn't do it without your support. My team-mates at rough house, you've all been amazing and I couldn't ask for a better team and thanks for all the lifts to training Dan. My coaches Ollie Richardson, Rupert Smillie and Nathan Leverton. My corner team Nick Osipczak, Nathan again and my mentor Paul Daley.

Dean Amasinger / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 1 of 1

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated
  1. waa

    From Pablo from Bolivia, on Sat 7 Nov 8:29PM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account