Dominick Cruz
Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz has admitted that even when things were going well for him he “still felt sad,” and went to ” low, dark places,” in his prime years when repeated career-threatening injuries kept him out for three years and cost him his title.
He then realized that he’d been supressing his emotional struggles with exercise, and when he wasn’t able to do that he felt like a prisoner in his own body, consumed by negative thoughts.
However, Cruz re-focused on his mental strength and has likened seeking psychological help to a weight-lifter having someone spot a few reps for them – and then after a while being able to lift the weight themselves.
He has also noted that helping other people has also been a positive factor in coping with his own issues.
