The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs were today treated to an address from UFC Heavyweight World Champion, Jon “Bones” Jones.
Jones, arguably the best MMA fighter, is currently touring Australia and teamed up with Lifecykel Labs Mushrooms and Better Breathing Devices to host and facilitate a Q&A and best-in-class performance challenge day at Belmore Sports Ground for the Bulldogs NRL squad.
The challenges, which were designed to test the squad’s focus and efforts under pressure, were judged by Jones, who gave feedback on their performance and valuable insights as to how they could improve.
The challenges consisted of a max effort air dyne sprint (echo bike), push-ups, and sprints, and included measuring lung capacity for the “gas in the tank” challenge (tested via Better Breathing Sport).
The players were divided into four teams to complete the challenges, creating an environment of pressure and friendly camaraderie as they competed for Jones’ best performance title.
"I had a great time getting to know the Bulldogs today, a very memorable experience," Jones said.
"They are class act, total gentlemen. It was an awesome experience."
"I feel like the most impactful part of it (today) was the Q&A, letting them in on the mindset of a champion athlete and I hope something I said today sticks with them."
Head Coach Cameron Ciraldo said: “Our players can learn a lot from Jon (Jones).
“An undisputed heavyweight champion, he shows up every time and has a never-quit attitude which is needed out on the footy field. His focus, strength and resilience especially under pressure is something we can all look up to and aspire to learn from.”
Bulldogs CEO Aaron Warburton agreed: “It is an honour to have had such an accomplished athlete visit us, here at the home of the Bulldogs. I know I can speak for all of us in saying that there is a lot that our players and staff will take out of the day, learning from his mindset, how he prepares mentally and physically for optimal performance and how he manages to reset when facing adversity.”
Julian Mitchell, CEO of Lifecykel Labs, an evolutionary biotechnology company that works directly with Jones, added: “We are extremely honoured to work with Jon Jones and learn from his mindset and how he operates as an athlete. Hard work and putting in the right fuel provides a great base to build an elite performance culture that continues to thrive.”
