Boxer Jajaira Gonzalez In Workout Gear Says “Earned, Not Given”

Boxer Jajaira Gonzalez is working hard to prepare for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and she’s clearly going all in, if her social media is any indication. Gonzalez, 27, shared pictures of herself working out on a stationary air bike, wearing a black Nike shirt and purple shorts. One snap shows the athlete flashing the peace sign for the camera. “Earned. Not Given,” she captioned the post (which is also the quote on her shirt). “You got this, bring home the gold!” a fan commented. Here’s what Gonzalez’s approach to health and training looks like.

1. Better Fighter

Gonzalez used the four-year hiatus during COVID to work on herself, inside and out. “I really missed fighting and competing. I feel happiest and most at home in the ring and I was lost without it,” she told Olympics.com. “I returned with an elevated mindset. I used to let a lot of things get to me, instead of letting them motivate me. It made me hungrier, and angry but in a good way where I can implement that into the sport. I’m a different fighter now. I fixed a lot of the mistakes that I used to make even though I was still winning, I’m a lot more technical now. I don’t just rush in and throw punches and look sloppy.”

2. Journaling For Mental Health

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Gonzalez says journaling changed her life. “I always do that and when things get tough, I also get outside and get some fresh air on my face,” she told Olympics.com. “Talking to people like my therapist also helps. I used to think it was kind of weak to do that but it helps a lot because instead of bottling things up and walking around angry or depressed, I get it out of my system. It’s all about controlling the controllables.”

3. Boxing Childhood

Gonzalez started boxing at eight years old, after her father encouraged her to try the sport. “At first I didn’t want to, I thought it was for boys,” she told Uchic. “But I pretty much had no choice so I started going- and I hated it! I would pretend to be sick so I wouldn’t have to go. But then one day a boy asked what I was doing at the gym. He said ‘girls can’t fight.’ It made me mad because I had been there longer than him, so I told my dad about it. He told the boy that I was going to spar him and gave him a couple of weeks to get ready. I beat him up pretty badly, it was no competition for me.”

4. Ready To Fight

Gonzalez is focused on her training in the run up to Paris 2024. “In order to get to Paris, these next few months are big,” she told USA Boxing. “I just have to stay consistent, disciplined and focused with everything I’ve been doing, like my therapy, my journaling, my training and allowing my body to recover as well because that plays a big part. I can’t wait to continue this journey.”

5. Olympic Dreams

Gonzalez is determined to show what she’s capable of this summer. “Only I can beat me, but I can’t mess up this second chance,” she told Olympics.com. “I have a very strong mindset and I’m very confident. I don’t feel like anyone can beat me, and I don’t feel like anyone is on my level. Converting my Youth Olympic Games gold medal into an Olympic gold medal would be a dream come true, and it’s the only thing that’s on my mind. I won’t stop until I get it.”

Professional boxer and MMA fighter Claressa Shields is sharing some positive affirmations with her fans on social media, spreading an inspiring message about self-love. Shields, 28, posted a picture of herself wearing a black bikini as she stood in the surf, looking happy and healthy. “I am happy 😊I am pretty 🤩I am wealthy 🤑I am living the life that I want 🫶🏾I am loved 🥰And things will get better ❤️‍🩹All things work in my favor 🙇🏾‍♀️,” she captioned the post. Shields’ training regimen is awe-inspiring—here’s how she does it.

1. Typical Day

Shields’ typical day when training consists of hours of different types of workouts. “A typical day in camp can go according to either of two plans. Plan 1 is I wake up at 9 am, make myself a small breakfast (2 boiled eggs, 2 pieces of turkey bacon and some steamed asparagus) or a fruit smoothie,” she says. “At 11 am I’m at the gym training. By 1:30 pm, I’m at the gym. My workout usually consists of bag drills, mitt work, shadow boxing, jumping rope, speed bag and ring drills. Then I either swim or run at 6 pm the same day. On the days I do Plan 2, I still wake at 9 am and have my breakfast and then 11 am-1:30 pm, I’m in the gym. But right after that, I do strength and conditioning, which consists of box jumps, dumb bell squats, some drills with weights for my upper body, or a four-mile run.”

2. Losing Weight

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Shields doesn’t find it difficult to drop weight when needed. “Losing weight is more about a routine than it is about eating less food,” she says. “The good thing for me is that I like healthy food – my body and mind feel best when I eat that way. The only difference in camp is I eat smaller portions of the food I like and drink a lot more water. This camp I’ve been heavy on fish, all kinds of fish from cod, salmon, Atlantic salmon — with sides of asparagus, sweet potatoes, rice or spinach. And body clock is important, so no eating after 7 pm.”

3. Boxing Training

Shields trains for hours every day. “My boxing routine requires strength and conditioning workouts in the morning,” she says. “Then I’ll train again with another two- to three-hour boxing session. I’ll hit the bag or pads with my coach and work on certain combinations. Then it’s working on the game plan and watching film. All that is about three hours. At the end of the day, there may even be a nighttime session or just an early morning session the following day.”

4. MMA Training Techniques

Shields MMA training has taught her many new techniques. “With MMA, my training has become completely different,” she says. “I make myself get up early in the morning to do my cardio. My coaches [at Jackson Wink] right now are showing me a lot of new techniques, which my body still needs to be conditioned to do. I’ll work on wrestling drills for about 45 minutes, then learn how to fight off the cage and against it, also learn how to take somebody down when they’re trying to resist. Two hours later, I have kickboxing, then it’s jiu jitsu. That’s a full day for me every day — unless I break the routine and say, You know what? I’m gonna give myself a rest.”

5. Forging Her Own Path

Shields refuses to be limited as to what her goals should be. “I admire Serena Williams and Beyonce — they’re just the best at what they do,” she says. “Beyonce didn’t put herself in a box by simply being an R&B singer. She raps, sings, dances — she does hard songs as well as soft ballads. When 'Lemonade' came out, everyone was like, Whoa, this is a new Beyonce, but it wasn’t — it was just a part of her she hadn’t shown. She never let anyone put her in that box. These people helped give me the power to prove that I can do both boxing and MMA. And just because people say it can’t be done doesn’t mean I have to put myself in that box of being either a boxer or MMA fighter — I can be both. I can be both girly and tomboyish. I can be humble and trash talk. No one will ever out me in a box — and it’s because of these people.”

Former UFC Octagon Girl Arianny Celeste enjoyed a beautiful weekend hiking in Las Vegas with her friends and family. Celeste, 38, shared a number of pictures of herself in the great outdoors, including one of her wearing black yoga pants and a gray crop top, posing out on a beautiful desert trail. “Peaceful weekend with my people 💗 #grateful #blessed #family #godfirst,” she captioned the post. Here’s how Celeste stays fit, healthy, and strong.

1. Not a Fighter

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Celeste has never had interest in actually fighting. “I do train MMA,” she told Alain Fournier of MMA Nouvelles. “I do Muay Thai kickboxing, but I would never fight, it’s not my thing. I wouldn’t want to compete. I’ll leave that to the fighters.”

2. Returning to the Ring?

Celeste isn’t ruling out returning to the ring. “I wouldn’t mind (one final time). I still feel great in a bikini and I work out all the time, so it’s not a matter of if I’m ready,” she told MMA Junkie Radio. “But I guess if the fans would want to see it, they have to ask the boss. That would be incredible (to work Noche UFC at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September). I’ve never been to that place, but it looks really, really cool. Maybe we’ll have to start a campaign with the fans and see if they can tell Dana.”

3. Picky Eater

Celeste is picky with her food and only recently tried steak for the first time. “I had my first taste of steak, so that just tells you I’m not real adventurous when it comes to food,” she told MMA Junkie Radio. “I eat fish and some chicken and some meat. I’m more of a texture person. The texture of a steak I’m not really fond of. Back in the day when I was a kid, my parents would take me to carne asada all the time, and I would literally tell them to burn the meat until it was almost like beef jerky.”

5. Retiring From the Ring

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Celeste was ready to retire from ring duties after becoming a mother. “I feel like I outgrew the whole ring girl thing and I became a woman – I became a mom and I was like, ‘There has to be something that I can do that’s a little bit more fulfilling within the company,’ and I went ahead and pitched a show to Dana (White) and Craig Borsari, and they loved it. So here I am,” she told MMA Junkie Radio. “I wasn’t expecting to put the ring card girl thing down forever, but I think once Britney (Palmer) did, I was like, OK, I’m cool with it.”

4. Health and Fitness

Celeste was proud to represent a healthy lifestyle as an Octagon Girl. “The UFC always promotes a healthy, sexy lifestyle,” she told Alain Fournier of MMA Nouvelles. “I think that’s the main point. We promote health and fitness, and that’s what the UFC is all about.”

MMA star “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings is showing off her new workout gear in a social media selfie. Rawlings, 35, shared a video of herself posing in front of a mirror wearing jogging pants and a pink tank top, her strong, toned fighter's physique on display. The voiceover she chose for her video made fun of how she doesn’t look like the typical “girly girl”. “Nailed it 💅🏻,” she humorously captioned the post. Here’s how the Australian fighter stays strong, fit, and focused.

1. Bare Knuckle Queen

Rawlings’ bare knuckle style gives her an advantage in the ring. “I grew up pretty rough,” she told Combat Press. “I love to fight, and when they approached me, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I’m excited about being able to showcase my boxing skills without the threat of a takedown or kicks, that’s for sure. No gloves isn’t too far off from MMA gloves, so I’ve adapted well compared to a pro boxer that’s always boxed in [big] gloves.”

2. Daily Training

Rawlings goes running in the morning and trains for up to four hours a day, which includes two hours of boxing. “I love the adrenaline of it. I love the rawness of the sport,” she told CNN. “It’s not just the physicality, it’s not just the athleticism, it’s your mentality and your heart to fight and keep going. I’m forever tested no matter how my fight goes. I learn something new about myself and I think that’s what keeps me coming back for more and it’s the same with training.”

3. Strawweight Category

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Rawlings was thrilled to move from strawweight to flyweight. “Normally I’m very focused and concentrating on my diet and trying to get through training camp basically on zero calories,” she told UFC Espanol. “Whereas this camp I’ve eaten well. I still eat clean and I still track everything I’m doing just because I’m very obsessive with my fight camps and take everything very seriously. But I’ve been able to focus a hundred percent on fighting. I felt amazing this camp. It’s crazy.”

4. Raising Awareness

Rawlings hopes her story will encourage other women to try combat sports. “It was originally a male-dominated industry, but women are gaining more traction now within combat sports,” she told Providence. “I helped break down the barrier and stigma that women can’t fight and that we are too fragile to compete in combat sports. I also shared with Fighters Against Child Abuse Australia a horrible and embarrassing truth about my personal life: how I walked away from an abusive relationship while raising my two sons. I hope sharing my story helps others and creates awareness that even people like myself can still fall victim to domestic violence.”

5. Mental Health Protection

Rawlings is careful to protect her mental as well as physical help. “We can know our worth, and we can fight for it,” she told Providence. “Because of my experiences, I have to learn how to love and learn how to be loved again. I don’t know if I’ll ever be the same, but I will be okay, I’ll fight another day. I remind myself each day to be kind to myself. The biggest turning point for me with my mental health was learning to love myself, and reminding myself that I’m worthy of good things, good people, and success.”