Kemo
09-19-2019, 08:06 PM
Jacare Souza has opened up on dealing with mental health issues.
Souza is scheduled to meet Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight bout on Nov. 16. The bout is set to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This will be Souza’s first fight since dropping a unanimous decision to Jack Hermansson, which cost him a shot at the UFC middleweight title.
Souza opened up on his mental health battle:
“Man, I was thinking about stopping (fighting). I had a psychological problem, I was burned out. I would drive to the gym and cry in the car and say, ‘Man, what am I doing going to the gym?’ My wife found a psychologist for me, I’m working on that once a week, and that has helped me a lot. I’m super happy with the opportunity of going back to fighting, I’m happy and excited and training like never before. There are a lot of good things happening in my life. Three months ago, I was crying on my way to the gym, tears would come out of my eyes and I didn’t know why. ‘What am I doing, man? I’ll stop fighting, I don’t want this for my life.’ And all of a sudden things were new again. I have the opportunity to headline a card, I’m excited again, I’m training, you know? ‘Dede’ Pederneiras has been phenomenal, he’s helped me a lot as well. I have no words for him. I already admired him before and now that we’re working together I admire him even more.”
Souza is scheduled to meet Jan Blachowicz in a light heavyweight bout on Nov. 16. The bout is set to take place in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This will be Souza’s first fight since dropping a unanimous decision to Jack Hermansson, which cost him a shot at the UFC middleweight title.
Souza opened up on his mental health battle:
“Man, I was thinking about stopping (fighting). I had a psychological problem, I was burned out. I would drive to the gym and cry in the car and say, ‘Man, what am I doing going to the gym?’ My wife found a psychologist for me, I’m working on that once a week, and that has helped me a lot. I’m super happy with the opportunity of going back to fighting, I’m happy and excited and training like never before. There are a lot of good things happening in my life. Three months ago, I was crying on my way to the gym, tears would come out of my eyes and I didn’t know why. ‘What am I doing, man? I’ll stop fighting, I don’t want this for my life.’ And all of a sudden things were new again. I have the opportunity to headline a card, I’m excited again, I’m training, you know? ‘Dede’ Pederneiras has been phenomenal, he’s helped me a lot as well. I have no words for him. I already admired him before and now that we’re working together I admire him even more.”