There are so many moving parts in the life of a professional fighter.
While competing under the bright lights on the sport's biggest stage is when everything involved ultimately matters the most, the road leading up to fight night is a rugged journey. In those weeks prior to laying it all on the line, a fighter pushes, breaks and shapes their body and mind all in the hope of forging the best possible version of themselves to ensure they will be ready when the cage door closes and locks behind them.
Training camp and life outside the gym are areas typically closed off to the viewing public, and fight fans are only granted access in small polished clips put out by the fighter or promotion to draw attention to an upcoming event. That said, Matt Mitrione wanted to give the MMA community a different kind of look.
The former NFL player turned mixed martial artist is preparing to face Ben Rothwell at Fight Night 68 in New Orleans on June 6 and wanted to open the curtain to allow fans to see what goes on in the life of a fighter leading up to a high-profile showdown. Therefore, the affable Indiana representative decided he would open up his life and training camp for all to see and invite the passionate MMA fanbase to take the journey with him leading up to his fight with "Big Ben."
Having seen the work done on The MMA Road Trip Project, Mitrione invited Bleacher Report MMA to chronicle the final three weeks of his training camp and observe everything that goes into getting ready to throw hands with his hard-hitting opponent in Louisiana. It was an offer that couldn't be refused, and we invite you to follow along with "Meathead" as he hits the grind to prepare for his co-main event tilt with Rothwell on the bayou.
