Issue 156
July 2017
How Jimi Manuwa became a top-10 light heavyweight by moving his training to Sweden
How did you end up at Allstars with Alexander Gustafsson?
We both went to Alliance gym in San Diego before I fought for the UFC and I missed him by a week. I texted him and said we should definitely train one day. We stayed in contact but I got a call from my manager saying there was a slot against him. He’d just come off a fight against Jon Jones, it was in my hometown and it was the main event. I had a little think about it. I texted Alex and said, ‘We’re going to fight, let’s get this out of the way and then we’ll train after.’ About two months later, I accepted a fight so I went to Allstars to do a training camp.
Was there any awkwardness having just fought him?
No, the whole team and the coaches out there were so welcoming. I felt at home straight away. The first day, everyone welcomed me to the house. Everyone was so cool and they still are. I’m like one of the family out there.
What were the first major differences you noticed about training there?
Structure and the level of sparring partners. Everyone is good. The coaches are all there to fine-tune your training. I had coaches (in London) but I was doing my own schedule. I’d do boxing one day or some strength and conditioning. I had no one telling me. Out there, you know what you’re doing for the week, for the month or even the whole camp.
Which guys do you spar with the most?
Alex is my main sparring partner and I’m his main sparring partner. He’s such a great guy, I can’t say any better things about him. He’s taught me a lot. I believe he’s the best in the world. He’s so talented. He’s a beast and we have proper wars. I think it was the best move of my career going over there. It’s brought my game up levels. I get a lot of confidence knowing I spar with the best in the world. No one can touch me now.
How hard do you spar with him?
Our whole gym kind of stops and watches when we spar, but we’re professionals so we don’t hurt each other. We can spar for the whole camp and no one will get injured. There’s no one who’ll get rocked. We know exactly what we’re doing. But if we make a mistake, we get punished, so we don’t make that mistake again. It’s all about getting to the fight and getting each other to the fight.
How does training in Stockholm compare to London?
I love it. The only thing I miss is my family – my dog, my missus and my kids. When I’m there it’s just pure focus on training. There’s no taking phone calls and going to meetings – distractions. I just wake up, go to training, eat, sleep, wake up, go training twice a day. That’s it. I get my massages, strength and conditioning, everything. It’s perfect. Everything is done at the gym. Andreas Michael sets our whole schedule and it’s great.
Is the approach to strength and conditioning quite scientific?
It’s not. It’s just pure hard work – strictly hard work. It’s structured and tailored to how you’re feeling as well. It’s not like a bloody boot camp. We’re professional athletes. If you’re tired, you take a day off, half a day off or you skip that session.
Do you ever go running in the snow?
Not in the snow, no (laughs). But we run in the summer. Road runs. It’s a great place.
Do you have a lot of down time between fights?
I’d have a month off doing nothing, going out partying, but I’ve become a lot hungrier now. After the Ovince Saint Preux fight, I was back in the gym on the Monday because I wasn’t injured and I wanted to get straight back into a fight. I wanted a quick turnaround but it didn’t happen. We had problems getting another opponent. That’s the only reason I fought in March in London. The last camp was a bit grueling because I hadn’t had any time off from October to March, so I promised myself I’d take some time off after London but it’s been hard. I had a week and a half off and I was scratching the walls. I need to train and stay sharp.
