“It means everything, for the most part, because I finally got a fight scheduled. They actually give me something to look forward to,” he explained. “Back when I was with traditional boxing, it was kind of like you fight, and then you’re unemployed for two years, so it’s hard to be motivated and stay in the gym and stay in shape. So, with this being said, I’m gonna stay in shape, man. You know, I’m a high performance Ferrari car so, you know, we’re gonna keep it that way.”
Martin may have been away from the ring, but he’s been rebuilding himself as an athlete. Now aged 39, he knows more than ever the importance of staying in shape, particularly as a heavyweight, and he’s put in countless hours in the gym to ensure that he has arrived in Las Vegas for fight week in tip-top form.
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“It’s always like that. It’s an up and downhill battle, not knowing when’s your next time to get back out there and perform. So that was always a struggle for me,” he said.“But, as I get older, I’m realizing, like, hey, health is wealth, you know? I mean, I stay in shape, I eat healthy. So it kind of ties into what I do for a living. So, yeah, it made it that much easier. For instance, this camp, I came in 70 percent in shape. So that made a world of a difference (compared to) when I’d came in at 272 pounds before fights and I’ve gotta fight the scale and train. It’s f***ing hard.
“The last year I’ve been training. I’ve been lifting weights all year (and) doing cardio, so it’s easy, man. This camp was a breeze. I remember back when I was like an amateur and how things used to just flow, and I could go right into a fight and execute. I feel like that again… I take accountability fully for everything that happens in my life, because I’m the captain of the ship. This is what it is, and this is me standing here right now today, and I’m just thankful, and I’m gonna keep putting in the work until I hang them up.”
