When sickness strikes, returning to training too soon, or refusing to step away, isn’t toughness. It’s sabotage. In Safe MMA’s latest column for Fighters Only magazine, Dr. Asoka Wijayawickrama explains how fighters can train smarter through common illness.
Illness doesn’t care about fight camp. Ignore the warning signs and your comeback could cost more than cardio. Here’s how to stay smart, stay sharp, and protect your team when sickness strikes.
Every fighter prides themselves on grit. You train through bruises, aches, cuts, and the grind of fight camp because that’s what it takes to make it in this sport. But when illness strikes, the push-through mindset can become your worst enemy. Returning to training too soon, or refusing to step away at all, isn’t toughness. It’s sabotage.
That’s the warning from Dr. Asoka Wijayawickrama, a West London GP, cageside medic, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who contributes to the medical charity Safe MMA. He bridges two worlds: the cage and the clinic. While the average person can rest up and bounce back, fighters who ignore fatigue or other symptoms risk injuries, setbacks, and even serious health problems. If exhaustion lingers despite easing back, if you’re sweating at night, dropping weight without trying, or coughing for weeks – especially if there’s blood involved – it’s not just the grind. That’s your body sounding the alarm. Here’s what the good doctor has to say on the matter.
