Secrets of the KSW master - how to become a perfect fighter? Borys Mańkowski.

Mańkowski contrasts himself with his former neighbor and UFC fighter Mateusz Gamrot, who spent entire Sundays lying in bed to conserve every ounce of energy for the training week. Mańkowski, by contrast, felt that if he lay still he would still be mentally 'spięty' (wound up) thinking about the next session. His solution was to go for bike rides with his wife and kids, to the lake, completely removing himself from the fight environment. He stresses that this was not a compromise of his dedication but a necessary mental 'vent' that allowed his head and nervous system to loosen up. He sees this as one of the trade-offs of a more balanced life; Gamrot's extreme focus may yield superior pure performance, but Mańkowski needed the occasional escape to sustain his career longevity without going insane.

Mańkowski describes Gamrot's routine as an example of extreme tunnel vision: every Sunday, Gamrot would stay in bed all day, explicitly telling Mańkowski that he was conserving energy so that he could train at maximum intensity on Monday. This level of dedication, where even a bike ride is seen as a waste, is what Mańkowski believes separates the very top from the rest. However, he acknowledges that such a protocol is only possible for someone whose brain can truly switch off during that rest; otherwise, the tension remains and the day becomes counterproductive. He presents it not as a directive but as a data point on the spectrum of fighter discipline.

He describes his early schedule: 7:30 AM boxing, 11:30 AM MMA/wrestling, 6:00 PM third session, plus he would often add 1.5 hours of strength work before wrestling. He now calls this 'dewastacja' (devastation) and admits it had no sense. He stresses that smart training means applying the hardest stimulus in the right dose and then allowing full recovery. He quotes Marcin Lewandowski saying that Kenyans said 'work hard', Europeans said 'work smart', and Lewandowski says 'work hard smart', which Mańkowski endorses.

Mańkowski explains that he used to believe he could still get a UFC shot, but now sees it as logistically impossible: the UFC would not sign a 35-year-old with no long-term promotional upside. He admits that even if he won every remaining fight, it wouldn't change the reality. Instead, he has shifted to a pragmatic plan: take loud, lucrative fights that give him financial security, then walk away. He contrasts this with fighters who keep chasing an illusion and then face a hard crash. His contentment, however, is genuine because he has already experienced almost every layer of MMA — from small-time amateur shows to a stadium event for KSW — and even witnessed Gamrot's UFC journey as a cornerman, which gave him a surrogate sense of fulfillment. The book he wrote is part of this new chapter, channeling his experience into a legacy product, and he now speaks of future adventures like climbing Kilimanjaro and visiting remote African villages.

Mańkowski argues that anyone who claims they are immune to online comments is lying, because content you consume enters your subconscious regardless of your conscious dismissal. He compares it to an unpleasant song that plays on the radio and later you find yourself humming it. He realized that even positive comments can create dependency and shape your self-worth, so the only safe strategy is to cut off exposure entirely. He specifically praises the host for having to read comments to improve a podcast, but notes that for his own mental recovery as a fighter, abstaining is non-negotiable. He frames this as a deliberate protective measure, not ignorance.