Camp Pendleton hosts martial arts fitness competition

Amanda Gross

Athletes from every branch of the military are eligible to participate in the "Mission Readiness Challenge" championship that Camp Pendleton is hosting, the North County Times reports.

Captain Brian Stann, a top-10 ranked mixed martial arts middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), is bringing this strength and endurance competition to the base to stress the importance of constant physical fitness. UFC was established in 1993 and now hosts more than 20 fights a year, according to its website.

"You can't just take a week off from war and go relax," he told the news outlet. "There's no break."

Stann is bringing a portable set of workout equipment called the TRX Suspension Trainer to Camp Pendleton for the competition, which will match fighters against each other for bragging rights to see who can finish a rigorous workout fastest.

"It's not just important to go on your deployment and be in shape - it's also important to have a means of maintaining your fitness," Stann told the publication. "You need to be a well-conditioned warrior while you're deployed. The second aspect is the mental side - war is draining. It's tough emotionally. Having a means of working out and staying fit is extraordinarily important to keep our men and women prepared while they're over there."


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