WHY SOME FIGHTERS NEVER MAKE IT!
The Tough Truth: Why Handling Stress and Hard Work Is Key to Making It as a Fighter
What's up guys! Today we're tackling a subject that’s blunt and honest — maybe even a bit harsh, but it's something every fighter and martial artist needs to hear. If you’re grinding away in the gym, dreaming of making it to the UFC or reaching a high level in MMA, it’s time to get real about outside stress and personal habits. Talent and athleticism will get you far in training, but that’s not enough. The battlefield extends way beyond the gym doors.
This blog post is going to break down why life outside fighting matters more than most people think. So grab a drink, settle in, and let’s talk about the truth behind chasing your fighting dreams.
Starting Out: Blunt Reality Checks
Let’s not sugarcoat it: plenty of talented, athletic, and tough fighters never make it big. Why? It’s not always about belt color, KO power, or how many rounds you can grind through. Most of the time, it comes down to two things:
- Handling stress outside the gym
- Not being lazy in regular life
You could have all the stuff — speed, strength, technique, grit — but if you’re always late to work, slacking at your job, or too lazy to show up to practice, chances are you’ll struggle to even get close to the UFC, let alone stay there.
“Some of you all aren’t going to make it because you can’t handle outside stress and you’re lazy outside of the gym.”
Think about all the fighters who had what it took — guys tough enough, athletic enough, and strong enough for the UFC — but just couldn’t handle job stress, personal drama, or keep their lives running outside of training. It’s more common than you think.
Working Your Way Up Isn’t Optional
Here’s another reality: almost nobody gets a free ride. Sure, some national champs get sponsors or have parents who can support them, but most successful fighters have jobs and grind everywhere — inside and outside the gym.
Why Working Matters
- Developing a hard work mindset that shows up in the ring
- Building mental toughness that goes way beyond physical training
- Learning to balance practice and “real life” because that matters at every level
If you can’t hold down an eight-hour shift, five days a week, and still show up for training, you probably won’t make it. Most UFC fighters and top pros started out working regular jobs, managing crazy schedules, and still found time to hustle in the gym.
“Very few people make it far or to the UFC and don’t have to work their way up... The majority of people I know that ever made it to the UFC or a high level, all had jobs and work jobs to be able to pursue this dream.”
Excuses and Laziness: Where Dreams Get Squashed
Let’s be real. In every gym, coaches hear excuses from students:
- “Work’s been killing me.”
- “I’ve got personal stuff going on.”
- “I’m too tired to train today.”
Every time — it's a reason not to push hard. But really? That’s just an excuse hiding a simple fact: you need to suck it up, get less lazy in your personal life, and learn how to deal with stress. Want to fight? You also need to work, deal with family drama, and still show up — every time.
The Typical Grind
Imagine working a 10-hour day, then hitting three hours of practice. No weekends. No parties. Just work, train, sleep, repeat — for years. That’s what most successful fighters actually do.
“Try doing that for five years in a row. Try doing that for multiple years.”
Personal Stories: What Real Fighters Go Through
I’m not just preaching here — let’s talk facts. Coming up, I worked multiple jobs:
- Three oilfield companies (rough hours, hard labor)
- Target (yes, the big box store)
- World Market
- Painting and sandblasting (up early, work all day, go home beat up)
- Clubs as a bouncer and manager (up all night, sleep a few hours, back for practice)
The grind was brutal: work late, sleep four or five hours (if that), hit practice, take a nap, hit more gym time, back to work at night. It doesn’t stop.
“I worked as a bouncer at multiple clubs. Odd hours, staying up late, going home, getting to sleep, you know, getting to sleep four or five hours and then if even four hours, maybe, and then having to go to practice and then coming home, taking a nap in the middle of the day, then going back to night to evening practice, then going back to work at nighttime.”
This is how it’s done. No handouts. No sponsors covering everything. If you think you’ll get by on regional fights and endorsements alone, or can coast at home at age 25, 30 — that’s a tough way to live, and not how most people make it.
No Job, No High Level: The Hard Truth
Here’s the punch line — most people who made it fought their way up while working regular jobs. If you can’t handle life outside the gym, how will you deal with fight camp stress? With high-level competition stress? With losing, failing, or injuries?
Mental Fortitude: What It Really Means
UFC fighters aren’t just slabs of muscle. They’re mentally tough, with the grit to do what sucks, even when nobody’s watching. This starts outside the gym.
“If you can’t work a regular job and pursue your dream on top of that, it’s highly unlikely you’re making it to the UFC. And it’s also highly unlikely you’re going to have the mental fortitude to even deserve to be there.”
How You Do Anything... Is How You Do Everything
This is a huge concept. Your habits at work and home follow you into the gym. If you slack at your job, show up late, put in half effort — chances are you carry that same attitude into the dojo.
- Work hard everywhere — job, home, gym.
- Show up early — be reliable.
- Build grit — if it sucks, do it anyway.
“Be how you do anything is how you do everything. Go to your job, work hard, come to practice, work hard, develop this mindset of working hard and making stuff happen, because there’s very, very unlikely someone’s going to save you.”
Nobody’s coming to bail you out. Sponsors rarely show up to offer a free ride. If you want something, you have to go get it yourself.
Gym Toughness Isn’t Enough
Maybe you’re a beast on the mats — can handle a Shark Tank session, spar ten rounds, get beat up and stand back up. But guess what? That only gets you so far.
There are plenty of fighters who are animals in the gym, but the second life throws them stress — job drama, family arguments, bills stacking up — they fold.
Outside Stress Is the Real Fight
If you can’t keep your life together outside the gym, all the rounds inside won’t matter. Your ability to:
- Hold down a job
- Show up for practice no matter what
- Deal with family or relationship problems
- Manage money and life drama
...that’s the stuff that toughens you up for competition at the highest level.
“Learn how to handle stress outside of practice. Because I know plenty of people that can’t handle stress in the gym. They can get beat up... but none of that matters if they can’t handle the outside stresses of life.”
Handling Stress: The Simple, Brutal Key
People make stress sound complicated, but it’s simple: develop mental fortitude. That means doing what you don’t want to do, getting through drama, and keeping your life rolling even if you hate your job.
Fundamental Rules:
- You don’t have to love your job, but you’ve got to stick with it.
- Work hard enough to not get fired.
- Show up on time.
- Don’t skip practice.
If you’re always late, always making excuses, or letting relationships and work distract you, fighting isn’t going to work out.
“Keeping a job doesn’t mean you have to like your job. It means you need to work hard, not get fired. And don’t be late all the time. Don’t be late to practice. Handle outside... problems.”
Handle the drama — girlfriend issues, family tension, whatever. Find a way through.
Making It to the Top: Not Just Talent
Even if you have world-class skills, freakish athleticism, and the best trainer on the planet — if you can’t handle stress, you’ll never stay at a high level for long. You might make it for a minute, but you’ll fall out just as quick.
“If you can’t handle these stresses, you’re never going to make it to a high level in fighting. It’s highly unlikely. Even if you were able to be that special of a talent to make it, you’re not going to stay there.”
Let that sink in: it’s not just training that gets you there — it’s lifestyle, attitude, and grind.
Hard Strategy, Simple Results
It’s tough, but it ain’t complicated. If you want to go high:
- Work hard.
- Give up having a normal life.
- Train every time you can.
You’re up against fighters who have been doing jiu jitsu, wrestling, and striking since they were tiny kids. They’ve learned to grind hard and train nonstop. Barely keeping a job and skipping practice isn’t going to cut it.
The New Generation: They’re Starting Early
Look around. Kids getting into MMA now have been rolling and wrestling since age five or six. They know how to train. If you come in at nineteen or twenty, thinking you’ll coast through, you’re light years behind.
“Kids nowadays been doing jiu jitsu and wrestling since they’re 5 and 6 years old. And I got guys coming in that 18, 19, 20, 22 years old thinking they’re going to the UFC and they can’t even handle the stress of keeping a job, working a regular job, and training full time.”
If you’re new to martial arts, want to see what a real grind looks like, or looking for a tough, honest coach — now you know what to expect.
Final Thoughts: Your Path Forward
Let’s wrap it all up. Making it in fighting isn’t just about being tough, talented, or athletic. Those things are awesome — but life outside the gym is the real test.
Key Takeaways
- Handle stress outside the gym as well as you handle it inside.
- Hold down a job — it’s not optional if you want to build habits and support your training.
- Quit making excuses. The grind is long, boring, and exhausting, but it’s what gets results.
- Develop mental fortitude — deal with life drama, be consistent, show up.
- Realize nobody is coming to save you. If you want it, go get it.
Success in fighting is just an extension of how you live your life every day. If you go halfway at work, you’ll likely go halfway in your fighting. Go all in, everywhere.
Useful Resource for New Martial Artists
If you’re hungry to start martial arts and need a gym or school, check out my book: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Your Martial Arts School and Instructor. It’s packed with tips on picking the right instructor, environment, and training for your journey.
“It’s not easy, but it’s simple. You work hard, you have no life, and you train as much as you can if you want to make it to a high level.”