Kyran Cameron: A Week in the Life of a Pro MMA Fighter

For Kyran Cameron, MMA is a way of life. Starting at 11 years old in Sambo and Self Defence, Kyran added to his arsenal by studying Karate, Muay Thai Kickboxing, and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ). He became completely entrenched in the world of MMA by the age of 16 and by 18 had competed in his first amateur fight.

Kyran Cameron vs. Kyle Blinkhorn at BTC 7: Annihilation. Kyran won by overwhelming his opponent with a flurry of punches in the first round. (Credit: Patrick Duffy)

Today, Kyran, 27, is a professional mixed martial artist with a pro record of 3-0-0. Having turned pro just nine months ago, Kyran is a dedicated fighter that loves the spirit of competition and the ability to work toward his goal of being a full time fighter. Explosive and exciting to watch, Kyran is a force to be reckoned with and a promising young athlete.

However, the success that Kyran has experienced doesn’t come easily. It takes a lot of training, discipline, and hard work to excel as a pro fighter.

While the week leading up to a fight is mainly about mastering movements, keeping a clean diet, water loading, and some research on his opponent, Kyran’s more intense training is another story altogether.

Kyran with coaches Lyndon Whitlock (left) and Rory McDonell (right) after his victory over Joey Morency at BTC 4: Vendetta.(Credit: Patrick Duffy)

In the heart of training for a fight, Kyran must challenge himself to output his very best and to push himself past previous expectations. His team, comprised of Rory McDonell (BJJ coach), Lyndon Whitlock (Striking coach), and Lucas Chaston (Pads), is extremely well rounded, making Para Bellum MMA a complete one stop shop for everything MMA.

While working a night shift job on the side, Kyran’s typical week of hard training is packed with a variety of exercises and fight specific drilling.

Kyran trains striking techniques with coach Lyndon Whitlock at Para Bellum MMA.(Credit: Patrick Duffy)

Monday

During the day Kyran will typically do a striking class for roughly two hours, concentrating on combos and fundamentals. In the evening, he will return to Para Bellum to train BJJ, which is done while wearing MMA gloves to act as a reminder that he is not just training Jiu-jitsu, but MMA in its entirety.

Tuesday

Hard Sparring consumes the majority of the training on a Tuesday. Considered one of his “lighter” days, the sparring sessions are followed by some rest and relaxation for the remainder of the day.

Wednesday

Kyran’s technical BJJ skills are honed in both long day and evening training sessions. While not incredibly intense, the fundamentals of BJJ are drilled for hours. Since most of his opponents mistake Kyran for being mainly a striker, his grappling game has become an exponentially important contributor to his success.

Thursday

Intensity is ramped up to the max for wrestling training. Pushing Kyran to his limits, the strength training inherent with wrestling increases and perfects his power and control.

Friday

A relatively light day, Kyran works on two aspects that are crucial to every fighter’s game. The focus is technique and conditioning, which are both worked throughout the rest of the week. However, the specific concentration of these two necessary attributes elevates Kyran’s fight game to another level, allowing him to outwork and outlast his opponents.

Saturday

A second day of hard sparring sharpens Kyran’s equally important striking and defence. As every fight starts in a standing position these are the first techniques most fighters must use in any competition, making them crucial for early control of a fight.