Congratulations Neo Zeed. Keep us updated on your progress.

Jul 3, 2024 1:32:27 GMT Baker said:

Congratulations Neo Zeed. Keep us updated on your progress.

This. Totally rooting for you man.

It’s been an amazing week, had a rocky start due to getting too tired, too much weight lifting not enough cardio. But finished strong. Went through 3 guys in their early 20’s in a drill where I had to spar with them 2 minutes each one after the other with no breaks, so 6 solid minutes, 2 fresh guys(one of them was a killer). To start off the coach said to keep it light and focus on technique, but then told my 3 guys that I had a lot of experience basically telling them to let the hands fly. I got walloped on the nose right off the bat and took another hard shot with my mouth open, having a hard time breathing with this mouthpiece I have. But it woke me up and it all started coming back started keeping guys off me with my jab and using head movement, took some gnarly body shots that I feel would have dropped a lot of guys but stayed in there. I felt on top of the world after that night, cardio is rapidly improving. It’s on boys.

And got a new girl that is pretty amazing 💕 English teacher, got to clean up that grammar 😂

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Looking good dude, congrats man. It's all about the mindset and getting over the hump of starting up. 2024 sounds like it's been a good year so far in for you man.

Headed to the football field in a bit to go over some of these footwork drills on my own and go a few rounds shadow boxing, want to be perfect tomorrow night with these footwork drills no slip ups. And can only imagine how terrible I look trying this “shoe shine” drill we warm up with so working on that today.

Had a much better week this past week in my second week in the gym. Wednesday night sparred with 5 different guys including a guy that has 6 UFC fights(he's the main coach that has been working with me). He took it easy on me because I was gassed the fuck out by the time we went at it, excellent coach that has shown me nothing but respect. I think I have found my tribe. My cardio improved big time, the sprints at the track thursday night went great and I'm not even that sore from them today like I figured I would be.

When sparring last week I started experimenting with the "Philly Shell" boxing style that I read about in one of my books(and watched some videos of it) and it worked really well for me. The other guys can't see the left hooks coming from down low and I landed quite a few of them, also landing more jabs from this position. I feel like I have the reflexes to pull this style off but I haven't tried it with the smaller MMA gloves yet just with the boxing gloves, I don't think this works as well with the small gloves.

I've also been working on the shoe shine drill to get better at it, relaxing my shoulders is a game changer. Doing this drill is really giving my combos much more fluidity and speed. It's fucking on man, this is becoming more and more of a reality, once I get this cardio up I think I'm going to be a bad man. Still getting rocked with body shots though, almost went down Wednesday night from a bad one but stayed up.

Edit: Worked with a different coach last Monday night that really focused on my footwork, did so much that I fucked up the bottom of my feet with blisters. The blisters popped at work and the bottom of my feet look pretty gnarly, just raw meat. Also killed my legs and calves Monday night. Was pretty worthless at work teusday because of this could barely walk but I dug out some old weight lifting shoes and wore them to train the rest of the week. This was a big game changer too for the boxing sparring not slipping and having firm feet with the shoes. Everything is healing up fine and I'm feeling and looking amazing man. Six pack is starting to look pretty sharp. 

Really looking forward to next week, going to keep getting better. Going to see where I'm at at the end of this month and start putting serious plans together to fight somewhere maybe September or October, something small. 

Had the best night yet tonight to start week 3, just savage intensity tonight went all out and left it all in there, therapeutic. Could barely walk out, maybe 100 degrees in the place tonight no AC and no fans. This is bad ass and get the impression means more to me and have more to figh for than anybody else there tonight.

Also have been watching the top welterweights in the region including the big welterweight co-main in Shreveport show this past Friday nigh and feel like I fought tougher guys back in the day, feel like I could take all these guys including the champ. I’m feel like Randy Couture in 2006-2007 when he was watching the heavyweights back then plotting his comeback. Fuck one more fight i think I can make a legit run at a belt.

Went to the jujitsu class tonight and really did great. While it took me a couple weeks to get my hands back, my ground game was probably better than it has ever been tonight. Maybe because it’s that I’m bigger, stronger, wiser, but I more than held my own against 2 guys that outweighed me by probably over 40 pounds. Couldn’t be taken down, couldn’t be tapped, scored a huge double underhook leg sweep takedown to put one big guy on his back. Also scored a beautiful sweep from half guard that I seen Noguiera do to Gary Goodridge in Pride that I have been wanting to try for years. Also tapped a guy my size with a triangle from top mount, one of my bread and butter moves back in the day. Everybody there was curious where I came from and what gym I trained at. And this was the first time I’ve rolled in 16 years.

My old coach back in the day taught me some great stuff he was a high level jujitsu coach and it showed tonight. If I was manhandling 220-240 pound guys tonight I like my chances against other welterweights my size. It’s fucking on boys.

It’s going to be interesting tomorrow to see what hurts when this adrenaline dies out 😂😂😂

Got my ass handed to me tonight big time. I had an out of town job to do yesterday in Oklahoma and missed class, didn't get back to the shop until around 8. I told them ahead of time Tuesday night that I most likely was going to miss Wednesday because of this. Didn't get a chance to lift or do anything because of this job and missed the weight lifting entirely today, barely made it to class on time. Felt like they were gunning for me tonight, the guy that I slammed Tuesday night was especially eager to roll with me and wore me out pretty good, clashed my jaw at one point. Then went at it pretty good with the head Jujitsu instructor, was so wore out from going at it with the big guy that I got caught a few times, had my throat crushed in and my shoulder torqued pretty good. A couple of times I should have tapped a lot sooner but too much pride I guess. Going to be feeling nice tomorrow I'm sure, especially my neck and throat. It is what it is man nights like tonight will only make me better.

Man, such a great attitude about what happened tonight Neo Zeed.

Jul 19, 2024 2:23:16 GMT Foos said:

Man, such a great attitude about what happened tonight Neo Zeed .

Thanks bubba. Was feeling pretty discouraged about everything driving home, was a low point tonight after looking so good Tuesday night. Everybody was definitely looking to put me in my place and they did. But got to remember it's been 16 years man I'm just now getting back into it and did go at it pretty hard with a black belt level guy tonight, he got me but he had to work for it for sure. 

Put in some great work this weekend, got caught up on the weights on Friday shoulders/legs and some weighted ab workouts. Did 5 rounds shadow boxing Saturday at the church parking lot where i take my son to ride his battery operated little truck. Hearing him cheer me on “keep going daddy” hit pretty hard. ❤️. Sunday i put together a 5X5 minute round Fight Gone Bad curcuit in my back yard with some old tires, a sledge hammer, barbell, and a 2’ tall scaffold stand. Last night had my best night yet in the MMA gym to start week 4, getting a lot of love in there and pushed hard. When you got a fighter with 40-50 pro fights several titles and 6 UFC fights under his belt giving you props on how hard youre pushing it how great a shape youre in and how good your technique is looking thats a hell of a motivator. Im becoming more and more of a thing in that gym and being taken more and more seriously. Awesome feeling

Week 4 is in the books, I need a fight booked asap man, going to plan on getting blood work done next month sometime I want to fight in September. It all came back to me. Last night I rolled with a big huge heavyweight had to be over 265, we did a drill with a partner on you in full mount and you had to escape or submit him, survived this big fucker cranking on my neck and swept him over in a matter of seconds. Feeling super strong man, ground game is on point, one of the top guys in this gym on the ground pound for pound without a doubt. My hands are coming along too my fists are sore from going after the mitts and bags with 100% intensity. I no longer get tired either, feeling fucking amazing. And I just got started is the scary part, did none of this for 16 years. I feel like I'm just wiser and more mature now at this age, took really good care of my body over that time(working hard building houses), and have had none of the constant brain damage that a typical fighter would have at my age that has been doing it all this time.

But...

The boxing gym a few blocks over Distinctive Boxing the gym I talked to first and came close to going to, I seen an ad on their facebook that they are now offering a Lucha Libre class.... Damn that sounds fun

Not the best night tonight. Not the best day really. At 39 it's just crazy how long it is taking for my body to recover from these workouts, honestly like I'm not recovering at all. I woke up hurting this morning from the little bit I did Friday, took it easy and just did about 15 minutes shadow boxing Saturday night, didn't do anything at all Sunday because of how sore I was just figured I'd give my body a chance to heal. I woke up this morning just as sore as if I had hammered down all weekend and dragged ass through work all day. Hulked myself up to get through a weight lifting session and hit MMA class working with one of the best guys in the area. Took a nasty accidental headbutt to the jaw during a drill that may have given me a little bit of a concussion, just felt dizzy and sick to the stomach on the ride home but it could be more due to the heat, it was 100 degrees tonight. I may take tomorrow night off just work on some things on my own and hit it hard Wednesday. Definitely feeling the age and seeing now why some of the great fighters fell off in their late 30's the way they did. 

What an amazing night. There was a different coach tonight and focused on boxing. Usually we spar on Wednesdays so I worked up a lot of emotions before I headed in because i been sore and tired and dragging ass all week.

So on the ride over tonight I really focused and remembered what it was like being 23 years old with broke ribs after my last fight, back in Texas working for chump change going from big future MMA superstar to a broke nobody, how bad i missed the feeling and how bad i wanted to get back into it. I had all these plans that never materialized and I think back to that kid that had no idea at the time that it was over. Tonight I went in there with all out intensity ready to throw down sparring but we didnt spar, but this coach seen that i had something different and really focused a lot on me tonight one on one. Got some really great technical training tonight and the workout of a lifetime. I left it all in there tonight it was like a love letter sent back in time to that 23 year old kid I used to be. Remember who the fuck you are.

Had a pretty amazing night rolling Jujitsu tonight for about an hour with 3 different guys, one was black belt 16 years in the game, and 2 brown belt level guys that have been at this gym forever, all 3 guys way bigger than me, 1 guy the most experienced probably 15 pounds bigger, another guy looks like he was on juice 20 pounds bigger, third guy is heavyweight over 225. I noticed all 3 guys sat out the crazy warm ups the coach had me doing, 20 minutes of crazy rolls and sprawl/up down sprints across the gym so i was already sweating and tired by the time we rolled. Also noticed that 2 guys never will start off standing, they start on their butt wanting you to come into their guard. I dont like that. I like to start standing it becomes a test of strength and so far nobody can get me down or throw me, they try.

I did fucking great though. The ground game is definitely my world. The most experienced guy wasnt able to catch me or pass my guard. The other hulked up guy I was able to catch him with a sweep when he stood up in my guard and roll up on him in a full mount that impressed everybody, idk how grappling tournaments work but I think I would have got a lot of points for that. The heavyweight was the only guy that will start standing with me and we had some battles in the clinch. My back hurts. But i almost caught him in an armbar but he got out only because i wasnt really trying to hurt the guy, had I really been going for it I think I
could have had it.

Worst part is trying to calm down from all the adrenaline, i need to get up in 6 hours and go to work, and I cant get to sleep.

Next time I roll with one of these guys that wants to start off on their ass Im doing some Sakuraba flying cartwheel shit fuck it lifes a risk carnal.

Week 6 is in the books, had a great Monday/Tuesday, got extremely tired Wednesday and felt like crap all day didn't look too good training stand up. Thursday I got their early to do a mauy thai class that they do from 6 to 7 every day and it was pretty much a waste of time, I don't think a single guy there was over 18 it was mostly like a teen class and just didn't feel like that class did me any good, I could have used that time working on something else. But Thursday night I did great in Jujitsu this was more of like an open mat and a few big dogs showed up that I got a chance to roll with. Rolled with 2 really big strong guys and did great, tapped one twice once with a triangle choke and another time with a triangle from top mount. But I found out the one guy that I rolled with Tuesday night was a legit black belt, he showed up Thursday wearing his gi and belt with another guy that was brown belt. I swept the brown belt and rolled up on him in full mount but got tapped a few times by him. Black belt guy once again wasn't able to do anything to me it was another stale mate when we rolled. Next time I roll with a guy that starts out on his ass wanting me to come to his guard I'm going to grab his ankle and spin him around in a circle a few times and hit him with a cartwheel guard pass like Sakuraba, fuck it.

But got to admit at this point I'm doubting myself as far as fighting again. My cardio I feel should just be better after all I've done the last 2 months, I'm still gassing out in there, I have good days and bad days. Days where I can't move my feet and legs like I want to. It feels so un natural these days to throw kicks when back in the day that was my strongest attack, my hips are just about shot from wearing nail bags I guess. I just feel like I would get ran through in a fight vs a younger guy that has been fighting regularly. My mom is also burnt out from watching my son until 9 every night and she's picking him up earlier now at 3 in the afternoon since he started head start last week. I feel like I need to take a 3 week break from MMA gym and get back on just focusing on the weights in the AM before work, getting home to my boy and doing some cardio on my own, then attack this all again in maybe better shape. I haven't made my mind up yet but I don't feel like I'm really in shape now for a fight to be booked.

You have to ask yourself; if not now then when?

I say you book it and go in that octagon with a Mike Tyson Kill Quick attitude. Just knock their fucking heads off because damn right your mom is tired from watching the kid until 9pm! You got somewhere to be!

Break necks, make checks!

Its set, October 26th in Shreveport, no opponent yet but I'm for sure on that card

I'm taking the rest of August off to focus on my cardio, long distance runs, sprints, fight gone bad circuit, holyfield circuit. Also working on my hands on my own with all the shadow boxing and footwork drills we worked on in the gym, and hammering down on the weights in the AM before work. This gives me the rest of this week, and the next 2 weeks to be home earlier for my little boy, while getting my lungs in better shape. I started it off tonight with a 3 mile road run done in 34 minutes and it's over 100 degrees here, lots of uphill spots on my course I mapped out.

Back in the MMA gym September 2nd, that gives me 8 weeks. I'm trying to get it lined out where I'm paying for private one on one boxing sessions with the big name boxing coach I worked with last month, at least a few times a week. I haven't heard back from him yet but hopefully can make that happen. Also plan on working Saturdays with my little brother who is an absolute killer, I'm probably more worried about sparring him than anybody else on that fight team.

Aug 14, 2024 0:38:12 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Its set, October 26th in Shreveport, no opponent yet but I'm for sure on that card

Sweet. Good luck, brother. 

Aug 14, 2024 0:38:12 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Its set, October 26th in Shreveport, no opponent yet but I'm for sure on that card

I think maybe "training for a fight" has been a bit abstract up to this point. Now that there's a date, a location, it's real, and when you get back in the gym, you'll lock in. If your cardio doesn't feel right, that explains sluggishness in training, and so when you get that back, you'll be a dangerous man in that gym in September. And then you can head into that fight with 8 weeks of the best training that you can do and take some young blood to school in Shreveport.

Aug 14, 2024 1:30:14 GMT Kilgore said:

Aug 14, 2024 0:38:12 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Its set, October 26th in Shreveport, no opponent yet but I'm for sure on that card

I think maybe "training for a fight" has been a bit abstract up to this point. Now that there's a date, a location, it's real, and when you get back in the gym, you'll lock in. If your cardio doesn't feel right, that explains sluggishness in training, and so when you get that back, you'll be a dangerous man in that gym in September. And then you can head into that fight with 8 weeks of the best training that you can do and take some young blood to school in Shreveport.

This post really lifted me up and got me going thanks man. So very true, knowing that this is real and its coming is a game changer.

I put in some great work this week and have big plans to crank it up next week. Just finished a sprint circuit at the football field 20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90-100 yard sprints all out, sprint then walk back. I hammered out a fight gone bad circuit yesterday. Plus full weight training in the am before work, my warm up for that is 3x3 rounds of jump rope. That is an underrated workout, im to the point where Im practically crip walking with it. Big difference maker for my leg agility, which was a problem last month. Also getting in rounds of shadow boxing feeling faster and more fluid with it, and also warming up for weights with 3 rounds on heavy bag.

I took an ice bath tonight and total game changer, I came out of that a brand new man, my leg soreness is gone. Im set for big workout in the gym in the morning at 5:30, 3x3 rounds on rope, 3 rounds shadow boxing, 3 rounds on heavy bag, then full leg workout on the weights superset with ab workouts. Then another 3 mile run after work going to try to beat my time from Tuesday nights run.

Saturday Im set to spar with my little brother, then Holyfield circuit later that day. I may just do a few rounds shadow boxing Sunday and rest.

2 more weeks of this before back to the MMA gym. This will be a big event on ippv for everybody to watch.

Aug 16, 2024 0:46:21 GMT Neo Zeed said:

Aug 14, 2024 1:30:14 GMT Kilgore said:

I think maybe "training for a fight" has been a bit abstract up to this point. Now that there's a date, a location, it's real, and when you get back in the gym, you'll lock in. If your cardio doesn't feel right, that explains sluggishness in training, and so when you get that back, you'll be a dangerous man in that gym in September. And then you can head into that fight with 8 weeks of the best training that you can do and take some young blood to school in Shreveport.

This post really lifted me up and got me going thanks man. So very true, knowing that this is real and its coming is a game changer.

I put in some great work this week and have big plans to crank it up next week. Just finished a sprint circuit at the football field 20-30-40-50-60-70-80-90-100 yard sprints all out, sprint then walk back. I hammered out a fight gone bad circuit yesterday. Plus full weight training in the am before work, my warm up for that is 3x3 rounds of jump rope. That is an underrated workout, im to the point where Im practically crip walking with it. Big difference maker for my leg agility, which was a problem last month. Also getting in rounds of shadow boxing feeling faster and more fluid with it, and also warming up for weights with 3 rounds on heavy bag.

I took an ice bath tonight and total game changer, I came out of that a brand new man, my leg soreness is gone. Im set for big workout in the gym in the morning at 5:30, 3x3 rounds on rope, 3 rounds shadow boxing, 3 rounds on heavy bag, then full leg workout on the weights superset with ab workouts. Then another 3 mile run after work going to try to beat my time from Tuesday nights run.

Saturday Im set to spar with my little brother, then Holyfield circuit later that day. I may just do a few rounds shadow boxing Sunday and rest.

2 more weeks of this before back to the MMA gym. This will be a big event on ippv for everybody to watch. Fucking crazy this is happening.

Strength and conditioning is going great, I changed gyms and got out of the overcrowded crunch fitness in the bigger city I work in and got back in my small town gym that I put all them gains on from 2016 to 2021. Gym to myself back to my roots all week so far.

Sparred harder with my little brother Saturday than I have with anybody at the MMA gym during my 6 weeks there. He was undefeated and TKO’d all of his opponents within the first minute, freak athlete. We sparred outdoors in 105 degree heat index and it was some more of that going back to your roots shit. I wore head gear and still ended up with little bit of a black eye. We are planning to spar like this every Saturday from here on out until the fight.

I just smashed my goal of running 3 miles under 30 minutes by getting it done at 27:33 in the heat at the track. I plan on Holyfield circuit tomorrow at the football field, A sprint circuit Thursday 100 yds 5 times, 80 yards 5 times, 50 yards 5 times, 30 yards 5 times. Then another 3 mile run Friday night this time on my road course with the big hills under 30 minuts. Sparring on Saturday. Another week of this next week should be ready to get back into the MMA gym September 2nd, gives me 8 weeks to get ready to run the show.