"Only has a certain amount of energy" - Chael Sonnen weighs in after former champ finds Tony Ferguson's workout with David Goggins unhelpful
With Tony Ferguson re-emerging into the spotlight recently due to his viral training sessions, ESPN's Chael Sonnen is the newest analyst to publicize his doubts.
Ferguson has never been known to cut corners during training. Still, the former interim champion has upped the intensity in preparation for his upcoming fight by working with well-known vigorous trainer David Goggins. After clips of their training session went viral, a former UFC champion negatively weighed in, to which Sonnen agreed.
In response to a tweet from Rafael dos Anjos, Chael Sonnen tweeted:
"Elaborate, champ... [I] thought the same thing... Goggins had a positive effect, but Tony only has a certain amount of energy and needs to be wise."
Sonnen's reply came from the initial reaction of dos Anjos, who claimed Goggins' coaching method would 'slow down' Tony Ferguson. Dos Anjos, a former opponent of 'El Cucuy,' also stated that Ferguson was already 'mentally strong' and would not benefit much from Goggins' 'Hell Week.'
Dos Anjos tweeted:
"I see Tony's workouts with David [Goggins]. Those long workouts will not help Tony's condition, it will slow him down. It could help him with some mental strength but Tony does not need that. He's very strong mentally."
Tony Ferguson training with David Goggins
In an attempt to stop a six-fight losing streak, Tony Ferguson has hired David Goggins to coach him through an intense strength and conditioning routine.
Goggins, a former Navy SEAL, is notorious for believing that most physical barriers are byproducts of mental blockades. The motivational speaker posted short videos of Ferguson going through his 'Hell Week' routine on social media that gathered many differing opinions.
In a video of the two athletes lunging across an open field, Goggins said:
"I saw a lot of your f****** comments talking about rest and recovery and all this bulls***. A lot of you don't get it, man. He did rest. He slept eight f****** hours. There's an adaptation that goes into mental f****** hardening... Your mind has to evolve into something evil to do the f****** things that he will have to do pretty soon."
Ferguson is currently preparing to fight Paddy Pimblett in the final UFC pay-per-view event of 2023.