This isometric, sustained-grip demand is where a lot of otherwise well-conditioned fighters run into real trouble. The broader nutritional foundation supporting this kind of conditioning work rests on well established research. A heavyweight’s conditioning program built purely around striking-style interval work is likely missing the specific demand his actual fights place on his body. Recovery matters just as much as the training itself for a fighter managing this specific grip and joint demand across a full camp. Fans evaluating a fighter’s conditioning after a rough round would do well to ask which specific demand actually exposed him before assuming a blanket cardio problem.