Former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz is already up at Big Bear, training for his upcoming fight at UFC 66 with current titleholder Chuck Liddell.
For years, athletes have trained some 7,000 feet above sea level in those rugged California mountains, enhancing their conditioning programs exponentially.
The trainer for Hasim Rahman, former heavyweight boxing champion, put it into perspective best:
"Training at this altitude enhances a fighter's performance level. You go six rounds here [Big Bear], you can go 10 anywhere else."
However, cardio is not the only advantage to training at Big Bear.
Seclusion from the outside world helps fighters get away from all the mental, emotional and physical day-to-day demands that can disrupt preparation and prevent them from being at their best.
Often, fighters will even sacrifice physical contact with their families, including nooky, for weeks on end in the run up to their matches to squeeze the most out of their regimens.
So, what's this little lesson got to do with "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy"?
Well, he's been up at Big Bear since before Thanksgiving and won't return until a day or two after Christmas.
Here's a snip from a recent (and very good) MMAWeekly.com piece on Ortiz:
"My Thanksgiving and Christmas will be on December 30 when I win my world title."
OK, we just have one very sumptuous problem with that statement:
Can there be a bigger distraction – or energy-sapping vixen – on the planet?
We're talking about porn goddess and love interest, Jenna Jameson, spending time with Ortiz while he's preparing for his rematch with "The Iceman."
Below is a photo from her MySpace site with the caption, "me and my man in big bear ... nov 24 2006."
AW!
The two are inseparable and clearly ga-ga over one another. Do you think for one minute that Ortiz can go weeks without hitting that frequently? Can she?
Who knows – we're not between the sheets or in anyway aware of his daily routine. From his recent interviews, he's clearly motivated and focused on recapturing the UFC light heavyweight crown.
Maybe, JUST MAYBE, all that extra cardio in the bedroom will pay off in the Octagon.
We'll find out on December 30.
Let us know what you think.
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