Issue 155
June 2017
From Poland to Phuket then Florida, UFC middleweight Krzysztof Jotko trains where the wind takes him.
Q. Do you enjoy the process of a fight camp?
Yes. I really enjoy training and that’s why I move around and train at di erent places. I like to travel around and train with different people in different locations as the only thing I don’t like about training is waking up in the same place. But I love MMA, I love ghting to so to be able to do this for a job is perfect for me. My work is also my passion. I’m lucky.
You’ve swapped Poland for Phuket these past few years. What’s training in Thailand like? It’s amazing. The country is beautiful, the food is amazing, the striking coaching is fantastic and the sparring is very tough.
It’s exactly what I like. The only thing missing is very good grappling, but I travel to Florida for that in the final weeks of my fight camps. Thailand is special. I came here for one month the first time and I stayed for six. Now I’ve been here two years.
Q. What’s your diet like when you’re living there?
Of course, it’s very different than in Poland. I used to have to cook alone, but here you can buy very nice and nutritious food very cheaply. I don’t have to cook anymore. That’s the biggest difference. The food is great on every street corner or in the bars. There are lots of fighters around so there are healthy options everywhere. It’s easy.
Q. Is it easier to cut weight in Thailand?
Not really, because the food here is very delicious. I just want to eat, eat, eat and it’s cheap, cheap, cheap. I love the pancakes and the seafood so it’s hard to walk away from the table. It’s also very hot so I can lose three kilos of water after one hour of training. If you’re focused, you can cut in two weeks, but I train a lot so I can eat a lot.
Q. What is your strength and conditioning routine like?
My strength coach is called Jason Lenko , he’s a former rugby player from Australia. We do a lot of weights sessions, and speed and explosive workouts, but it’s boring to me. I love fighting, so most of my fitness comes from sparring. Maybe that’s why I like it here so much as there’s always new faces and styles to spar at full speed.
Q. Do you do much swimming or road work?
I swim once or twice a week to loosen up. It’s not really something I use to build stamina. It’s more of an o -day workout. I like to run. Phuket is beautiful, so running around the island is not dificult early in the mornings, unlike in the cold and rain in Poland. Almost every day I run to Big Buddha, which is a landmark that’s about 5k uphill from the gym – or I run to the beach.
Q. Why are you planning to move to Florida?
I want to join American Top Team and really push on with my training. I have spent some time there already and it’s the place to be to be the best in the world. There’s a really strong group of Polish fighters there already, so it will be easy to settle in. The coaching is incredible there. For sure I will miss living here in the jungle. I’ll definitely be back, but I have to put my career first, not just the quality of life.
Q. Could you retire in Phuket?
Yes, that’s a good plan. Maybe after my MMA career is over I will return and live in Phuket. But right now, I have to move to America to realize my potential. I want to become UFC champion and I don’t believe I can achieve that living in Phuket. But when my career is over, when I have made lots of money, then maybe I will return and live again in the jungle.
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