Ares Candelario Q&A: on VS. Browne, training days in '49ers facility, workout regimen

Twice within the span of two years, Ares Candelario earned his fighting spurs by starting from the drawing board to a Heavyweight title reign.

He's going for a third.

After a devastating loss of the belt to Werdum in the third round of a headlining match at UFC 188, Candelario is getting an appetite for gold all over again. His career spans fifteen years as an athlete, and despite accolade after accolade, from college wrestling as a Division I champion to one of UFC's most decorated veterans, Candelario remains quiet and reserved, not at all coinciding with his in-match persona.

Countless fans at cage-side, along with watchers at home, have claimed to witness Candelario mouth a single syllable at his opponent before matches, and according to some, all fifteen of his bouts have started with this quick threat-turned-mantra. The word?

"Run."

However, even with a nickname like "Warpath", it seems like a stretch when encountering Candelario out of the octagon. These dual personalities seem to co-exist within the man and plainly so, both in and away from bright lights, and as the questions unfold themselves, it becomes more and more obvious that this Jekyll and Hyde fighter from humble beginnings in Marina, California has only one prerogative. To become champion once again.

Candelario V.S. Browne, UFC 200, July 9th. There's a lot of speculation and prediction out there among UFC fans, with varying opinions on certain aspects, factors such as: experience, training background, physiques and pound-for-pound banter back and forth, height difference, same reach inches—the list goes on. In your opinion, what aspects of the fight really contrast? Where do you both meet at medium?

Candelario: "There's a lot of different elements to the match, like you said, there are plenty of things that could be compared. When it comes down to the actual fight itself, it's all of those things combined, and at the same time, it's about the fire in each man's heart. We could go on for years on speculation, statistics, whatnot, but we won't know until the victor stands... If I had to pick out a few things that stand out in contrast, it would be the physical comparison. I've gotten in the cage with a few big guys, and while that doesn't always amount to a one-up on a win, they do bring it, I mean with the pounds behind the fist. Something similar between us? Probably the training hours and dedication to prepping. I know he's in Albuquerque putting in the same amount of hours I am in the gym. I hear things. "

We'll keep slight about the match, only a few more questions regarding anything exclusively UFC-related, actually... What do you admire most about Browne as a fighter? As a person, from what you've witnessed? What do you dislike?

Candelario: "As a fighter, definitely the hit-power behind his frame and the time he's taken to develop the art of hard impact, as I've done my best to perfect the same. On the personal front, I can't say that I've had many standings with the guy, but I do know that he's went out of his way to interweave his gym into something like family, a brotherhood, and I know that kind of family is what keeps numbers under wins. Brothers are as strong as his fellow brothers, if that makes sense. As far as disliking? No...? Does he dislike me?"

Do you have any pre-match rituals or superstitions? Anything out of the ordinary?

Candelario: "A lot of it involves prayer. Throughout the months of training, it's constant. Right up until the night before I set out to leave for fight week too, I'll meet with my priest and pray, as well as receive a blessing, stuff on that spectrum. Ah, the last second they pull me from the lockerroom really, I'm praying. I don't know. It's all pretty personal and private to me. I'd rather not go into details, if that's all right."

Can definitely respect that. So—UFC just instated a new weigh-in policy, as you're well aware. All competitors, under the new guidelines, must check in during fight week (which is typically Tuesday for a Saturday event) within 8 percent of their target weight. This is to avoid fighters cutting enormous amounts of weight pre-match, which has been proven to be dangerous. Those that check in above the 8 percent threshold will be required to allow daily monitoring of their weight and vitals, and will also be required to attend weight management counseling before their next fight. How do you feel about this?

Candelario: "I think it's beneficial all around for a fighter to be taking health into consideration first and foremost, in whatever way he (or she) chooses to keep mind to wellness. In that very breath, I don't believe in policing the methods, or bodies of an athlete for that matter, in any way, shape or form. Not in this sport. A fighter's pre-match prep is of his (or her) concern, and if you choose the route of being severely dehydrated and malnourished the week, hell, night of your fight, then I would think that's on you. That's your bed to lie in, and probably with an 'L' over your head. It's not for anyone else to parent around though, so to speak. That's my take. "

You have a strong opinion on you. With all due respect to my next statement: Would you care to comment on (what some would say was a rather quick-cutting) twenty-five pound loss from your usual weight for your last fight, in which you lost?

Candelario: (Refused comment.)

On the last note of your upcoming match, the San Francisco 49'ers have invited you to use their training facility throughout the weeks leading up to the event. How does it feel to have local support from such a huge coastal Californian giant like San Fran?

Candelario: "It feels good to be a hometown boy, what can I say? They're my team, and to know that they all back me and want to pump me up... greatest feeling in the world. Their facilities are top-notch, by the way."

You played football in high school, correct? What position? Did it compare to your wrestling career?

Candelario: "I played defensive tackle for half of my high school career. I enjoyed it a lot, I mean it was a lot of contact, but it just wasn't the same kind of physical-type combative thrill for me as wrestling. Who knows, maybe I could still make a quarterback a little nervous, even today? I might still have it in me."

Here's a question that the gymrats want answered: What's your secret for training in the months and weeks before a match? Is there anything specific that you do to condition?

Candelario: "I've crafted something all-new for this match up, something that targets all key areas and pretty intensively at that. There's a lot of focus on strength, power, dexterity, that sort of thing."

Can you give us the lowdown on the three day work-out?

Candelario: "Yes. It's all power-based, something I created to help keep force behind me..."

day one: legs

1. tabata on stationary bike	20 SECONDS ON / 10 SECONDS OFF, REPEAT 8 TIMES
2. BARBELL DEADLIFT	1 WARM-UP SET OF 12 REPS, 1 SET OF 5 REPS
3. STIFF LEGGED BARBELL DEADLIFT	1 SET OF 5 REPS
4. ONE-ARM KETTLEBELL CLEAN	1 SET OF 5 REPS
5. FRONT BARBELL SQUAT	1 SET OF 5 REPS
6. ONE-ARM KETTLEBELL PUSH PRESS	1 REP (TO PUT BEHIND HEAD)
7. BAREBELL SQUAT	1 SET OF 5 REPS
8. STIFF LEG BARBELL GOOD MORNING	1 SET OF 5 REPS
9. SINGLE LEG BODYWEIGHT SQUAT	1 SET TO FAILURE (EACH LEG)
10. JUMP LUNGE FEET TO JACK	1 SET TO FAILURE
11. FREEHAND JUMP SQUAT	1 SET TO FAILURE (DUMBBELLS OR WEIGHT VEST)
12. BODYWEIGHT STANDING CALF RISES	1 SET TO FAILURE (DUMBBELLS PR WEIGHT VEST)

day two: upper body pull cycle

1. tabata on rowing machine	20 SECONDS ON / 10 SECONDS OFF, REPEAT 8 TIMES
2. CLEAN	1 WARM-UP SET OF 10-12 REPS, 1 SET OF 5 REPS,
3. PULLUPS (UNDERHANDED GRIP)	1 SET TO FAILURE
4. MEDICINE BALL SLAM	1 SET TO FAILURE
5. INVERTED ROW WITH STRAPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
6. ONE-ARM DUMBBELL ROW	1 SET OF 5-12 REPS (TO FAILURE)
7. DUMBBELL BICEP CURL	1 SET TO FAILURE
8. SEATED BARBELL TWIST	1 SET TO FAILURE
9. "STIR THE POT" (BALL)	1 SET TO FAILURE
10. HANGING LEG RAISE	1 SET OF 30 SECS + 15 SECS REST

day three: upper body presses

1. ONE-ARM KETTLEBALL PUSH PRESS	1 WARM-UP SET TO 10-12 REPS, 1 SET, 1 SET OF 5-8 REPS
2. DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS	1 DROP SET
3. SIDE LATERAL RAISE	1 SET TO FAILURE
4. LYING DUMBBELL TRICEP EXT.	1 SET TO FAILURE
5. PUSHUPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
6. BENCH DIPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
7. DIPS - CHEST VERSION	1 SET TO FAILURE
8. HANDSTAND PUSH-UPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
9. PUSHUPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
10. BENCH DIPS	1 SET TO FAILURE
11. DIPS - CHEST VERSION	1 SET TO FAILURE

Is there anything that you go to for a source of inspiration? Anything that brings you good feeling, hope, extra will, etctera?

Candelario: "Psalm 27 from the Bible. All of 27, actually, but specifically verses 1-3. I won't quote it verbatim, although I can if I want to, the whole thing... Basically, it talks on the question of who to legitimately fear on the mortal earth if you've got have spirituality to counter the fear. That you should be afraid of no one, and that despite enemies wishing bad upon you, that you won't stumble—that it'll be your foe instead who falters if you're confident in yourself and what you believe. I think that idea could be appreciated by anyone, whether they're religious or not."

Last question, concerning the blurred lore that seems to have many UFC fans wondering... Do you really mouth the word 'run' to your opponent in the seconds that the referee brings you to one another?

Candelario: "I don't have a comment on that one."

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