Red Hawk Essentials #42

In The Moment, Whatever's Gonna Happen Is Gonna Happen

Aug 24, 2023

UFC 292: Sean O'Malley lands a huge shot, TKOs Aljamain Sterling to claim bantamweight title

Holy smokes was that place electric.

Walking out to the cage with Suga, Superstar playing in the background, and the crowd going nuts.

As soon as they told us to walk, I was super calm. All the nerves disappeared. I used meditation tactics which we’ll talk about later. It’s also something Sug practices a lot too.

But I brought myself out of my head and into that very moment.

We’ve been in a ton of fights together. We’ve made this walk plenty of times.

Obviously, the stakes were higher. But the feeling was still the same. I made sure to soak in the moment and just run the game plan through my head.

As soon as Sug cracked Aljo, and I saw Aljo fall to the ground…

It was like a movie. I wasn’t thinking about anything, I was just watching.

And after the ref stopped it, it was like a huge release of all the stress and tension built up to this moment.

Holy shit. I can’t even explain the feeling.

It still hasn’t really sunk in. But it does get me pumped up to get back to work and see if we can be the pound-for-pound best fighter ever.

I believe Sug can do it. If he can keep his head on straight and work like we’ve been working, he has the potential to be the best to ever do it.

Now that’s the goal.

We’ll play it fight by fight. But skill-wise, I’m gonna see if I can make Sean the best fighter who ever lived.

Whatever’s Gonna Happen Is Gonna Happen

This was the most stressful fight camp I’ve ever been through with Suga.

Sug got hurt during it and we couldn’t train like how we wanted to train. We couldn’t touch grappling and takedown defense for almost 6 weeks.

On top of that, there was a lot on the line. Not just the bantamweight title, but how everything would explode if we could get it done.

Sean is already a star. If we lost, it’d be back to the drawing board and his stock wouldn’t drop.

But if he got it done, it would be on another level.

Thinking about that stuff was definitely giving me a lot of stress.

But even with the stakes, it’s important to always bring it back to the present.

During fight week, a lot of people drive themselves crazy thinking about the outcomes and the future.

But you gotta remember, all the hard work is already done before fight week. You’re not gonna get in better shape, get better technically, or get mentally prepared that week.

So you gotta focus on what you can control. The number one priority is usually getting the weight off.

But I would also add, that bringing yourself into the moment is just as important.

Like I said, the work is done. So it’s about focusing on the game plan. Focusing on the keys to winning. Trusting your skills. Trusting your coaches. Trusting your fight camp.

Whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen.

We fought super late. We had to wait all day.

All that anticipation can fuck some people up mentally. So I tried to remind Sean on fight day, let’s focus on staying present.

Let’s not even think about the fight. Let’s just be right where our feet are at.

But this is why Suga is so stone-cold.

In the locker room or walking out to the fight, he is not nervous at all. He’s completely calm.

This is a superpower. And anyone can learn it.

It sounds cheesy, but you can achieve this through a meditation practice.

Meditation completely changed both of our lives when we started practicing it regularly.

Trust me, I used to be skeptical. When I had a broken jaw, I was reading Tools of Titans by Tim Ferris and read what he and all these successful people had to say about meditation.

So there’s gotta be something there.

I downloaded Sam Harris’s Waking Up App and took his short course. It starts at 3 minutes and gets longer from there.

This practice gave us the skill of staying present. Sug used these tactics on fight day, in the locker room, and when he entered the cage.

I recommend this to any athlete and really anyone in general.

The only thing that sucks is that you won’t see benefits for a while. Not until you practice consistently.

At first, you’re gonna be sitting there and your mind is gonna wander. But that’s okay. Just bring it back.

Getting all those reps in will help you improve. And I guarantee once you start getting the hang of it, it’s gonna improve your performance in anything you do.

Thorne

We got the belt boys and girls. Thorne hooked it up during fight week.

A lot of UFC fighters use Thorne as part of their daily supplement routine.

Thorne is third-party tested for the best quality ingredients so you know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

I personally use magnesium before sleep, fish oils, amino-acids when I’m training hard, and their VeganPro complex protein.

If you’re in the market for some good supplements, Thorne is the brand I trust. You can feel safe and good about what you’re putting into your body with Thorne.

Use the link below and Throne will hook you up with a 15% discount on your order.

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Quick Hits From This Week

Red Hawk Recap Ep. 103

On this episode of the pod, Dan and Brandon (two of Suga’s coaches) join me for a fight week episode.

Dan/Brandon’s Morning Routine

Dan usually wakes up between 3-5 and goes to work out right away. He doesn’t want any of his work to get in the way of his workout and his breakfast is his post-workout meal.

Brandon starts his day off a little slower. He goes on a walk, drinks his coffee, and settles into his day.

Anxiety

Dan believes that anxiety comes with ambition. If you’re not getting anxiety from your goals, it’s not big enough.

Phone Dopamine Addiction

You have no idea how good it feels when you learn how to not look at your phone in the morning. There are so many people who get anxiety from not checking their phone, it’s impossible to have a still mind.

Thinking You Know Everything

Brandon says that wisdom is looking for wisdom. When your cup is full, it’s impossible to accept more new information.

Dan believes that receptiveness to communication and learning is the key to making progress.

TimboSugarShow Ep. 249 (The 1st champion episode)

Suga Is The Bantamweight Champ

Not sure if you heard. So weird. We filmed this pod on the same day that Sug won the championship.

No Grappling This Fight Camp

Sug actually didn’t grapple until the fight. He hurt his rib and wasn’t able to do any grappling for 6 weeks.

Countering Negative Thoughts

Sean was confident that he could knock out Aljo and he’s never fought anyone like him. He was dealing with a lot of demons and nerves during fight week, but he just dealt with them.

Ryan Garcia vs. Suga

Ryan and Sug went back and forth a little bit on Twitter. But Sug wants to box Gervonta in the future. Could be a huge fight.

Red Hawk Academy Patreon

Welcome to all the new Patreon members and shoutouts to all the OGs!

On Patreon, we’ve done a bunch of giveaways, podcasts, and vlogs.

We’ve been going 4 years strong with our Patreon. There are hundreds of videos on there, with new content going up all the time.

You can get exclusive access to technique videos, extra podcasts, and general healthy living videos.

I reply to everyone on Patreon, so if you have any questions, hit me up there!

»» Click here to check out Red Hawk Academy on Patreon

That ends it for this week’s Red Hawk Essentials.

Hope you enjoyed this one. Give me a like/comment/subscribe below.

If you’re new here, welcome to the fam! We’re dropping gems like this each week.

Luv ya, talk next week.

Tim

Red Hawk Essentials