Since I found out I’m competing against Diego Pato at WNO 26, my life has become pretty much consumed with grappling. 

• Subscribe To FloGrappling To Watch WNO 26
• Diego Pato To Defend 155lb Championship Against Keith Krikorian At WNO 26
• Jay Rodriguez & Ronaldo Junior To Meet In WNO 26 Action

Normally, I try to find a balance between doing jiu-jitsu and living life, but during a training camp to compete against one of the best in the world, you’re not really afforded that luxury. 

So for the past few weeks, I’ve focused on nothing other than improving my skills, fitness, and mindset before the toughest challenge of my competitive career.

Tickets Available Now

Here’s how I structure the average day while chasing down the number-one-ranked grappler in my weight class:

The Morning

My mornings pretty much always look the same. I wake up as early as I can. Ideally, close to when the sun comes up. I don’t look at my phone other than to maybe check the time. 

Instead of lying down doom scrolling the internet, I get up and do as many small chores as possible. Feed the kitten, fold laundry, put away dishes, and stuff like that. I feel more productive by doing this.

Then I sit down and open my laptop. 

I’ll usually journal (or in this case write an article for FloGrappling) and then I start studying. 

Sometimes I’ll watch footage of my opponent. Sometimes I’ll watch matches from the event I’m competing on so that I know the ruleset, judges criteria, general pace of the matches, etc. Or I’ll watch an instructional about something I either want to learn and add to my game, or just refresh my memory. 

I only have to watch 15 minutes, but it often turns into much longer. I set the bar low so that it’s less intimidating to start. 

After breakfast, coffee, and lots of water, I head to training.

Morning Training

I train pretty much every morning of the week. 

I’ll go to PJ Barch’s gym, 10th Planet South Bay, for his pro/competition training, or I’ll meet up with people to just drill and do situationals, or I’ll just go lift and do cardio.

It’s mostly dependent on what type of training is available and how my body is feeling. 

But the mornings are usually when I have the most focus and energy, so I make these sessions as productive as possible. They range from about one-and-a-half to two hours.

My match with Pato is 15 minutes under Who’s Number One rules, so for this camp specifically, I’ve been doing my best to simulate those conditions in training. Longer rounds, a more tactical mindset, but still high-paced. 

I also do lots of situational training to help prepare for positions I think I’ll be in during the match. I’ve been seeking out the best lightweight grapplers I know to help with this. 

The Afternoon

After morning training, I catch up on errands or house chores, and then rest and recover as much as possible. If I couldn’t fit a lift in during the morning, I’ll do it here. Although lifting after hard jiu-jitsu sessions is not my favorite. 

This is also the portion of the day where I eat the most food. My appetite is high after training, and I have a long gap between night training to digest.

I also notice a difference in my recovery if I don’t refuel with quality food, so I focus on covering all my macronutrients. Usually some amalgamation of animal protein, rice or potatoes, and fruits and veggies. 

My favorite way to end the afternoon is a walk with my girlfriend. Ideally along the beach. I like to make sure we’re taking advantage of one of San Diego’s best amenities. 

I also find that this helps me digest lunch, calms my mind, and burns a few extra calories. And I’m told that walks can help with recovery, but who knows? I mostly just find them relaxing.

Night Training

For night training, I almost always go to my home gym, 10th Planet San Diego. I don’t always train hard in the evening, but I try to go in as much as I can purely for the positive vibes. 

I love that everyone is having fun and grateful for a break from reality to do something they enjoy. I find this to be one of the simplest joys of jiu-jitsu. There really is something special about ending your day with training, and I love seeing people experience that.    

Winding Down

Sometimes the hardest thing for me to do is wind down after a long day. My adrenaline is still pumping from training, and my endorphins are running amok in my nervous system. 

I calm myself by eating a good dinner and a small healthy-ish dessert. 

Then I put on a pair of blue light-blocking glasses and watch a TV show with my girlfriend. Ideally, something less stimulating. 

We like “New Girl,” “What We Do In The Shadows,” and “Desperate Housewives.” All funny and fairly easy to watch.

Jiu-jitsu is the furthest thing from my mind at night. It belongs to the part of my brain that has the energy to problem solve. If I get too caught up thinking about my match or all the possibilities of what could happen, I get stressed out. This is not conducive to a relaxing evening, so I just save it for “Tomorrow Keith” to handle. 

I also stop looking at my phone around this time. I avoid any news, social media, or bills like they’re the plague. Anything that raises my cortisol, I stay away from. I even limit late-night snacking because I read that it can delay deep sleep. I read that on the internet so it must be true. 

A small cup of chamomile tea combined with a quick game of Wordle with my girlfriend or a few pages of a book I likely find incredibly boring, and I’m off to bed. 

And that’s basically my whole day. 

Not too glamorous, but it beats a 9-to-5. 

Whether I’m training to compete against the best in the world, or just training for fun, I look at every day as an opportunity to get better. 

I’d like to be a better grappler, boyfriend, son, friend, teacher, writer, and role model. My hope is that working on all these qualities will in some way make me a better person. 

I won’t do jiu-jitsu forever, but I will make sure that every day is spent making myself and the people around me happy. Whatever goal I have on my mind at the moment is less important than making sure my friends and family feel loved and happy. 

If I can accomplish that, I’m probably doing things right. 

WNO 26: Pato vs Krikorian Main Card

• WNO Lightweight Championship - Diego Pato vs Keith Krikorian
• Middleweight Bout - Jay Rodriguez vs Ronaldo Junior
• Light Heavyweight Bout - Roberto Jimenez vs Elder Cruz
• Light Heavyweight Bout - Ryan Aitken vs Luccas Lira
• Middleweight Bout - Tainan Dalpra vs Rene Sousa
• Women's Heavyweight Bout - Rafaella Guedes vs Paige Ivette
• Welterweight Bout - Daniel Sathler vs Michael Sainz

How To Watch WNO 26 Stream

WNO 26 will be streamed on FloGrappling and the FloSports app.

Match replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms.

Watch BJJ On FloGrappling

FloGrappling is the streaming home to the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu events and news coverage. FloGrappling is the streaming home of: 

• ADCC
• IBJJF
• WNO
• Fight to Win
• And more!

Join The BJJ Conversation By Following FloGrappling On Social

• Follow us on Twitter @flograppling
• Follow us on Instagram @flograppling
• Watch us on YouTube
• Like us on Facebook