A Day in the Life of an Amateur MMA Fighter

My name is Dustin Moore and I'm a 22-year-old journalism student at Cabrillo College; I am currently training for a three round war in the cage.

I began training Mixed Martial Arts in 2008; I was always a fan of Boxing and Wrestling so once I became aware of MMA I knew I had to give it a try. I was hooked from day one. After three months of training I entered the California State Pankration tournament (Pankration is basically MMA with no head shots, the more friendly version of MMA for those who arent ready to be hit in the face), I won the tournament as a huge underdog, defeating every opponent in less than a minute. I was able to advance to the National tournament, but since i had turned 18 in between tournaments I was forced to compete at a higher weight class of 135lbs, I had only weighed 110lbs at the time; the weight difference ended up making a pretty significant difference, but i was still able to pull 5th place overall.

After competing in Pankration I was ready to start fighting in the cage and takes things to the next level. I had my first fight in 2010 and have been fighting every day since. For those who arent aware, Mixed Martial Arts is any and every martial art combined into one sport, the most common being Jiu Jitsu, Wrestling, Boxing and Muay Thai. This is what an average day looks like for me.

5:30 a.m. - Wake up, eat breakfast and head to the gym (Breakfast consist of four eggs, yogurt and granola and a protein shake, though it does vary). Once I arrive at the gym I warm up, making sure my muscles are loose to prevent injury. Then i proceed to work the focus mitts with my coach Francis Farley anywhere from 1-1.5 hours. This focuses on my technique, power and accuracy assuring I am fully prepared for my opponents striking.

8:00 a.m. - Around this time we are finishing up and I eat another small meal; I fight in the 125 pound weight class so I burn calories like no other. I must constantly be fueled. After this I usually hang around the gym for a bit, hit some bags and do some cardio. Cardio usually consist of the rower or the treadmill when I'm in the gym.

10:00 a.m. - At this time I am preparing for a session of weightlifting or cardio circuit training or explosive circuit training depending on the day (think Crossfit style workouts, weightlifting combined with cardio). This usually last about an hour and focuses on strength, conditioning and explosion. On certain days it may be substituted for intense cardio training i.e. running Seacliff stairs or sprints and hill runs.

12:00 p.m. - By this time I am looking to eat a big lunch and prepare for the mid afternoon (meals vary, but during lunch time I am eating as many carbs as I can). If there is anyone available I have people come in to spar with me and / or run drills for jiu-jitsu, boxing, etc depending on the partner, while I wait for class to roll around.

4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Depending on the day I may be teaching a kickboxing class. Right now, I"m putting in my dues by teaching, which earns me a free tuition at my gym.

5:00-6:00 p.m. - Depending on the day this is either wrestling class or boxing.

6:00-7:30 p.m. - Depending on the day this is kickboxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is where the day gets tough as I have worked out several times and have had no break.

7:30-9:00 p.m. - This is either Mixed Martial Arts or Muay Thai (Muay Thai is the Thai version of kickboxing that includes the use of elbows and knees). This is my hardest class to get through as I am usually exhausted but the work is well worth it. After this I make sure to eat a huge meal, stretch and recover for the next day.

The days do vary but this is a rough example of what the average day looks like for me. Sometimes as a team are lucky enough to have fitness instructors that put together a specialized 6-8 week training camp for us. I am currently in the gym writing this blog waiting for my next class.

My next fight is July 22nd in San Jose and tickets will be available soon to any who is interested. Cheers!