Junior Gypsy prepares for his MMA debut without gloves. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Close to making his long-awaited debut in MMA without gloves, Junior Gypsy adopted a sincere stance and spoke about the 'ghosts' that haunted him throughout his career as a fighter. A victim of anxiety and anguish on the eve of the clashes, the Brazilian recalled the difficulties he experienced over the years while being harmed by negative feelings.
“I think it's common, but I'm quite anxious, I'm very 'feeling'. I end up making small things very big, psychologically (speaking) it ends up being very heavy and it has always been like that, my entire life and career”, said Cigano in an interview with 'Sixth Round'.
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Despite the statement, Cigano highlighted that for revenge against Fabricio Werdum, your mind is protected from anxiety for the first time in your career.
“Perhaps, this (fight) the way I have approached it, the help I had from a close friend who helped me a lot in this sense, if everything goes as I intend it to go and I think it will, because I am having success in application of everything I have thought; This will be the first time that I will only fight my opponent, without fighting myself,” he said.
Junior Gypsy was defeated by Cyryl Gane in his last fight for the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram
Difficulty before last UFC fight
“In my last UFC fight, due to the pressure of everything, things ended up snowballing and taking a toll. I was in the locker room, my thought was: 'let's get this over with because I want to go home and be with my family' in an important moment like that, where you're not comfortable, it ends up being quite negative”, revealed Cigano.
Dilemma in working with psychologists
“From the beginning (problems with anxiety), but I have always worked with this: psychologists. Working with professional psychologists has always been interesting. But I'm a guy who, if you come to me and give me advice or say something related to the attitude I should take, but without knowing anything about my life and not having participated in anything, I understand, but I don't absorb it. (…) it was always like that with professionals, in the beginning it was always cool, several things I started to work on and dedicate myself to (…) but it came to a time when things fell into the same place, because I had no barrier to expose my fears and everything and I ended up abandoning therapy because we weren’t going anywhere”, he explained.
Junior Gypsy is a former UFC heavyweight champion. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook UFC
Solution to the problem
“In the case of my friend (who helps with the psychological issue), he already knew me. We became friends years ago, but he already knew me from the fight, followed me a lot and knows a lot about me. He's a dedicated guy. I feel like he's a great friend. And he (said): 'ah, let's have some conversations, I like this subject and I study it, so I think I can help you because I know you'. And he worked very well, because everything he said and we discussed was really focused on what I lived, am and went through. He knows a lot of things in depth and it ended up being easier to absorb what was worked on (…) today I can get rid of (the 'ghosts') when they see it”, concluded Cigano.
Scheduled for the main fight of Gamebred Bareknuckle MMA, Cigano stars in a rematch against Fabricio Werdum this Friday (8), in Jacksonville, Florida (USA). Recovered from an injury suffered in his last fight against yorgan de castro, the athlete seeks to defeat his compatriot again and achieve 22 victories in his career.
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