Gavin Pratt has metal in a dodgy proper knee and gold, absolutely, in his index finger.
Has to, we reckon, given stated fingerprint is used as half a state-of-the-art safety system to unlock each door we stroll via right here inside a UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas value $20 million.
Doesn’t matter if you wish to use saunas, plunge swimming pools, Octagons, lifting stations, drive plates, underwater treadmills, cryotherapy chambers, even a machine measuring your susceptibility to concussions … Pratt, and that proper index finger, has entry to each considered one of them.
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Which in a couple of weeks, will make this 44-year-old Australian considered one of rugby league’s most essential males — particularly given some $36 million value of NRL expertise will successfully be beneath his watch.
As Director of Strength and Conditioning on the UFC Performance Institute, Pratt will likely be working with all 4 competing golf equipment – Brisbane, South Sydney, Manly, and the Roosters — each earlier than and after their hyped 2024 season opener.
Apart from gifting every of the groups entry to the PI in preparation for sport day, Pratt and his crew may even help the gamers with restoration earlier than flying dwelling.
All of which continues the unbelievable yarn that’s this West Australian ex-pat who additionally assists the likes of boxing megastar Terence Crawford, Las Vegas Raiders gamers and UFC featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski – who’s himself headlining UFC 298 in Anaheim, California this Sunday.
Born and raised in Perth, Pratt appeared on the best way to footy stardom himself in AFL earlier than being introduced undone in his late teenagers by that dodgy knee all metallic and lacking tendon.
“I was born with a bipartite patella,” he tells Fox Sports Australia on Super Bowl Sunday morning, having simply gifted us an unique tour via every part the NRL will quickly have entry to.
“It basically means instead of one bone, my patella has two.
“And playing footy it messed up, they moved my tendon, cut out a piece of patella and I’ve now got steel in there.
“Because the knee is bunged up too, your back shifts and gets twisted.
“And because of all the rehabbing the gym became my second home.”
Which can also be how Pratt, who went from East Freemantle Colt of the Year to taking part in simply seven video games over the following two winters, finally moved into conditioning with the identical membership earlier than then shifting to the Gold Coast — operating gyms and finishing a Masters diploma – earlier than heading to China and coaching Olympic hopefuls.
During his time in Shanghai, Pratt additionally assisted with a Chinese surf program – driving a harmful river wave which, dubbed the Silver Dragon, solely breaks throughout a full moon – after which in 2019 switched to the town’s newly-formed UFC Performance Institute.
Three years in the past Pratt moved once more, this time Stateside to move up the elite Institute the place some 100 UFC fighters are both based mostly full-time or prepare intermittently – among the many latter group stars like Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya.
This Sunday, Australia’s UFC featherweight champ will look to defend his gold strap for a sixth consecutive time in opposition to undefeated Spaniard Ilia Topuria.
The card has sturdy connections with the NRL given it additionally contains UFC middleweight contender Robert Whittaker – who, alongside together with his Sydney-based staff, have labored as wrestling coaches for South Sydney, Penrith and now Canterbury – whereas heavyweight Justin Tafa, who will likely be in search of one more undercard KO, performed decrease grades with Melbourne Storm.
Volkanovski, too, has labored with St George Illawarra, whose gamers will little doubt be cheering him in arguably the hardest check of his storied profession this weekend.
When preventing in Las Vegas, the Windang star all the time finishes camp on the Performance Institute and is so beloved by employees even the safety guard who welcomes us this explicit Sunday hails him “the UFC’s greatest advertisement”.
The difficulty of concussion is one Pratt is eager to work on with NRL gamers throughout their time in Las Vegas, significantly the Roosters and Manly Sea Eagles who will spend probably the most time utilizing Institute services.
Late final yr, the UFC director was invited again dwelling to Australia the place he spoke at a gathering of power and conditioning coaches about his work within the space of head knocks.
The UFC Performance Institute frequently has fighters use a Force Frame – which measures neck power and concussion susceptibility – and a Senaptec sensory station.
The latter includes fighters standing in entrance of an enormous TV and testing their motor processing speeds by touching the display when sure colored dots seem.
“With the Force Frame we measure neck flexion, extension and lateral flexion,” Pratt explains. “That, and how much force you can produce in each of those.
“We also look at the symmetry.
“So if you have a flexion to extension strength of below 0.6 to one, your risk of concussion goes up.
“The Senaptec is about seeing something and reacting. Seeing a punch or tackle — and bracing.”
Pratt can also be eager to get superstars like Reece Walsh and Latrell Mitchell onto the institute’s drive plates to allow them to examine NRL knowledge in opposition to that of the UFC’s largest names.
“Definitely the biggest role we’ll play be recovery,” Pratt stated.
“The team’s will be using our fields near here for their Captains Run and also our hot and cold plunges, our saunas, even the underwater treadmill if they want to get some runs in without too much stress and impact.
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“But we’re really keen to do some testing with any of the boys who are interested too.
“Particularly in regards to the neck stuff we’re doing, which is leading the way in that area.
“We’ve had the All Blacks do testing and their results were phenomenal.
“So I’d love to see the numbers from another collision sport like rugby league.
“It’s an area that is really gathering traction because of the importance of the new concussion protocols and the issue of keeping athletes in the game.”
With a smile, Pratt says he has one more reason for eager to see rugby league’s finest up shut too.
“I’ve always thought there is so much potential for NRL guys to cross over into the UFC,” he reveals.
“There is just that wrestling base, a grappling base that translates so well to MMA.
“I’ve really enjoyed seeing guys like Paul Gallen and Sonny Bill Williams switch and I’d definitely be interested to see what some of these other guys could do.”
Source web site: www.foxsports.com.au
