‘I’ve Gone To Another Level’ – Reece McLaren Says New Training Camp Will Lead To Big Things At ONE Fight Night 22

Reece “Lightning” McLaren believes a recent gym move will revitalize his MMA career as he aims for the top of the flyweight stack.

The #4-ranked contender has shifted his training to Queensland’s CMBT Training Centre ahead of his bout with “Wolf Warrior” Hu Yong at ONE Fight Night 22: Sundell vs. Diachkova on Prime Video, and he’s confident it will pay off in his performance.

McLaren has prepared for his recent bouts at Boonchu gym with Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr, but despite leveling up with his striking, the Australian star knew he needed to plug the holes in his training.

Speaking on the transition ahead of his upcoming fight on Friday, May 3, “Lightning” said:

“Respectfully, I think some things just run full circle. I’ve made the switch now to the CMBT Training Centre. I’m training there full time and I’m already seeing a massive improvement in a few things MMA-wise.

“I have to give props to Miles [Muecke]. His dedication to my training has blown me away. As head coach, he’s taken everything by the reins, and I’ve gone to another level thanks to him.

“I’m sure everyone’s going to see the results.”

After earning back-to-back stoppage wins in 2022, McLaren’s bout against Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov gave him the nudge he needed to find a dedicated MMA facility to continue honing his craft.

Akhmetov’s wrestling helped the Kazakhstani earn a unanimous decision win at ONE Fight Night 10. Because of this, “Lightning” realized he had to get back to a more all-round approach to training.

McLaren explained:

“It was like a turning point. Personally, I really had to focus on myself and that’s what I had committed to this year, committing to my own training.

“And again, that was the irony, I’m just not a striker. So, it’s made us take the MMA journey back down the road a little bit and focus on actual MMA.

“Everything that is MMA is pulsating through my veins. I’m so excited to be back training MMA full time.”

Reece McLaren ‘Refreshed’ By New Training Regimen

Mixed martial arts is more than the sum of its parts, so despite doing his best to train in all ranges for his last outing, Reece McLaren knew some elements were missing in his preparation.

“Lightning” worked hard on his striking under John Wayne Parr and got to grapple with Boonchu students, but now he’s back to moving through every discipline seamlessly, which he feels is very important at the top level.

McLaren said:

“Yeah, it’s bridging the gap between the [ranges], not trying to strengthen too much of what you know is already strong. That’s what’s making everything better. I’m really enjoying the direction in which my MMA’s going in, and I’m so excited to showcase it.”

McLaren now also has a new bunch of training partners on a similar mission.

This means he’s getting pushed in his sparring rounds and getting a close simulation to what he will face when he returns to action at ONE Fight Night 22.

Giving kudos to teammates helping him day-to-day, “Lightning” said:

“One of my best training partners, Mizuho [Matsuyama], is a Japanese guy, a little flyweight. And then there’s Oden [Muscat]. The team’s huge.

“We’re putting in heaps of rounds. Heaps of actual MMA rounds too, which is just amazing. Five-minute rounds, you name it, we’re pretty much doing it. The process is being loved again and that’s really, really refreshing.”