A hill on the outskirts of Albuquerque, N.M., is a regular training designation for the fighters of Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA. They’ve been running it for years in preparation for fights.
It’s not just any hill. At around 7,000 feet, it’s a measuring stick for suffering and a metaphor for battles ahead.
Featherweight Cub Swanson, who meets Charles Oliveira at UFC 152, suffers plenty on its slopes, sometimes enduring altitude sickness to get much-needed cardiovascular work.