Lance Walsh, a man with white skin, brown hair and brown eyes, and with a height of 6 feet tall walked into his fight gym at 6:15 A.M. 4 other men were already there. "Hey Lance! Got some good news. Get your bag in your cubby and come over here. Grab your gloves." His coach, a short, chubby bald man with black skin named Kirk Johnson. "Yes sir."
Lance walked over to his cubby and got out white MMA training gloves. He put his fingers through the slots and velcroed them to his wrists.
"So what's this 'good news' you're telling me about?" Lance said whilst walking over to Coach Kirk's desk. "Have some updated info on your opponent. Wish I could've found out sooner, but I think 3 weeks is just enough time to train for a guy like this. I have it all in a document somewhere in here.." Coach Kirk said while rummaging through doors on his desk. Lance moved his hands around to try and cool them off from the sweat building inside the gloves while his coach rummaged. "..come on..I know it's-ah! Here it is." Coach Kirk exclaimed while pulling out a piece of paper. "So your opponent, name is Chris Anthony, is actually a fairly balanced fighter. He has a record of 5 wins and 3 losses, I've seen some footage and he's susceptible to grappling. All of his 3 losses are by submission, 2 by Armbar and 1 by rear naked choke. 4 of his wins are by knockout with the 5th one, his most recent fight, being by a kneebar. I've seen the fight, however, and it was very sloppy. He did amateur boxing from the age of 12 to 17, almost won a national championship but lost the match because his shoulder got slightly injured and the fight had to be stopped. Then from 17 to 22, he began wrestling and wrestled in college. He was decent, but he's not the caliber of wrestler like your past opponents. I recommend watching some footage on him." Coach Kirk explained very clearly. "So a 5 and 3 record, huh? I'm only 2-2, seems like I'm at a disadvantage."
"Well, you're a +350 underdog."
"Not surprised. I feel different this time though. Feel like I can really pull it off."
"Well, I hope you can because then otherwise you'd be considered a journeyman, and that's never a good title. Ok, no more talking. Let's get to work. Start hitting the heavy bag and I'll be over in five minutes."
Lance walked up to the mat, pulled his feet out of his slides, and jogged up to a red bag hanging by a chain in front of the weights section.
His strikes echoed throughout the gym, the chain rattling and the bag moving. His quick kickboxing combinations dominated any other sounds in the gym. He grunted like all others in the gym.
"Fierce. Keep that attitude today. What you'll be working on in the morning is grappling and weights, and when you come back in the afternoon you'll do some full contact kickboxing sparring."
"Ugh."
"I know you don't like grappling, but if you can get this down then your opponent won't see it coming. Alright, let's get started on your combinations. Ready..go!" Coach Kirk shouted, and Lance was in action. Jab, cross, uppercut. Leg kick, jab, overhand. Elbow, knee, right hook.
"3 laps, let's go!" Coach Kirk shouted. Lance ran all the way around the mat three times, and stopped back at the bag. This cycle of 3 sets of combinations and then 3 laps around the mat continued for 5 sets. Lance ran around the map for the last time, then stopped at the bag. He had no time to relax, however.
"Run to the weights." Coach Kirk ordered. Lance jogged and made it to the middle of the weights section, the intimidating machines made it feel like they were staring at him. Mocking him.
"10 pushups, 10 sit-ups, 10 jumping jacks. Do that until I'm finished getting your weights ready. Go!" Coach Kirk ordered. Lance relunctently began. Coach Kirk walked at a normal pace while getting his weights ready.
"Don't think of how long it's taking, Lance. Focus on your exercises. No one else but you is on the planet, nothing to focus on. Just you, and your drills." Coach Kirk said. Lance listened, and blocked out the world around him. No, humans, no gym, no earth. Just him and his drills.
"Alright Lance. You ready?" Coach Kirk asked.
"Yes sir."
"40 pounds on the bench press. 3 sets of ten. Let's get to work."
Lance stepped over the bench, sat down and let his back hit the comforting rubber. He reached up and aligned his hands.
"Alright, 3..2..1..begin."
Lance tensed his muscles and lifted the bar. 10 reps in a quick 10 seconds.
"There you go. Thirty seconds."
Lance breathed as calm and collected as he could in those thirty seconds.
"10 seconds. Lay back."
Lance let his back hit the rubber and aligned his thumbs.
"3..2..1..go."
Lance did the same process. He was in his own world now, nothing else mattered but the training.
3 hours later
"5 more!" Coach Kirk shouted.
Lance grunted as he finished off his weighted pull-ups.
"Good job with the weights today kid. Get to the mat, start stretching. A lot of drills today, but in the last hour will just be some grappling sparring."
Lance nodded, ran to the mat, and got himself ready.
2 hours of training…
One more hour until Lance had to go to his dislikebale job, so he was going to make the most of it.
He got partnered up with an Indian-American man, a fighter with a record of 14-7. Arguably the best grappler in the gym. His name was Haring.
"Hey, Lance has a fight in 3 weeks. I'm not saying go light, but don't go 100%." Coach Kirk said.
"No problem coach."
Despite his aggressive style, Haring was a nice and respectful man. The two shook hands, and the buzzer went off. Lance went in and grabbed the back of Harings head, but Haring dropped down and wrapped his legs around Lances. Lance fell, and after that he realized that he was in for a beat down.
1 hour later
Lance found himself in a gullotine choke hold. No way out, because he accidentally found a way in. He tapped.
"Ok guys, that is time. Lance, you can leave, and for everyone that doesn't have a fight it doesn't matter when you go." Coach Kirk said.
"Thanks coach."
Lance grabbed his bag, and jogged out of the door. He now had to go to his job at a sandwich shop.
End