Invest in yourself
Not everyone can make a living from fighting alone, but it is not impossible according to Luis. “If you want to do well, I think you also have to invest in yourself. It’s like running your business. My motivation has always been that I wanted to become the very best and I will tell you honestly that it also has to pay well. I’m not going to train really hard and get beat up for nothing.” Luis says that he trains two, sometimes three times every day. “Sunday is my only rest day.” By investing in yourself, he not only means by training, but also that you have to have the right people around you and invest in them. “You also need your team as a fighter: strength coach, nutritionist, physio, manager, head coach. With the best people, you see the best results, but everyone has to be paid. And those costs remain even if you can’t fight matches. Fortunately When that happened (last year), I was also able to rely on my wife. She was really there for me then. She is a personal trainer and she is doing really well. She is completely booked.”
As a tip for young fighters, he adds that you can use social media to gain brand awareness. “Of course you are ultimately judged on how you perform, but social media can do a lot for you as a boxer. You have to be able to sell yourself and social media is just a good tool for that.”