Jahmyr Gibbs' 4th NFL season is set to be his most demanding yet. After David Montgomery, who shared three seasons with him, was traded to the Houston Texans, the Detroit Lions are now banking on the new bell-cow back. Looks like Gibbs is ready to bite the bullet.

A recent report from ESPN has revealed that the NFL star has added mixed martial arts to his workout regimen, training under the legendary coach, Rafael Cordeiro, in Kings MMA Gym, California.

Cordeiro, who has previously trained Mike Tyson, Anderson Silva, and Cris Cyborg, is now helping Gibbs polish and sharpen his on-field combat skills. The duo has invested 20 hours of fight training together, and the results are already visible.

"It helps with body control. Your base and all that, and faster hands. I would say with blocking, I get my hands up before they hit me," the NFL star told Eric Woodyard from ESPN. "I feel like my body's gotten in better shape, like physically it looks better."

Besides improved reflexes, the sessions have also upped the cardio and conditioning game for the 'Sonic', who praised the full-body approach in MMA. But the real star of the show is the 3 competitive sparring sessions Gibbs has stormed.

"He now has the vision that the fighters have inside the octagon. He can see. When I say something, it makes sense for him," Cordeiro elucidated.

Moreover, the coach has likened the 24-year-old's physique and skill to that of Jon Jones', given his strength, athleticism, and a strong left kick. And this training won't vanish into a vacuum.

How Jahmyr Gibbs' MMA training would transfer to the stadium

The drills during the Detroit Lions running back's offseason included distance management, footwork, and a strong shell guard for the combat scenarios on the ground. That translates directly to football.

As Gibbs' running back coach and ex-Detroit Lions player, Tashard Choice explained, fight training can help with hand-usage and balance on top of endurance.

"When you're punching, it's all about hand placement and hand-eye coordination," he began. Choice believes improved footwork and leg mobility are instant upsides of MMA training for football passes.

"When he does that kicking, extending your legs, hamstrings, quads, all that stuff takes training," Choice explained. 

Trading fists, and of course legs, it seems, has worked wonders for the NFL star. Can Jahmyr Gibbs pull it off as the Detroit Lions bell-cow back?

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Written by

Proma Chatterjee

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil