Olympic bronze medalist boxer Tony Jeffries recently shared his remarkable journey into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including a memorable training session with BJJ legend Cyborg at the famous gym in Miami.
During his time in Miami in 2023, Jeffries was invited by his friend Steve Krebs, now a black belt, to train with the 12-time heavyweight champion Cyborg. The training sessions proved to be enlightening for Jeffries, culminating in a viral video that captured the attention of martial arts enthusiasts worldwide.
In the viral clip, Cyborg confidently claimed he could submit Jeffries 20 times in just 6 minutes, demonstrating the vast difference between boxing and BJJ expertise. Jeffries, reflecting on the experience, remarked, ”
“We spent some time in Miami in 2023, and my good friend Steve Krebs, who is now a black belt, invited me to the famous Fight Sport gym to train with his friend, who is a BJJ legend—Cyborg. This guy is a 12-time heavyweight champion, and training with him, I learned so much in the few sessions that we did. I even got to shoot a video with Cyborg that went pretty viral on the internet. Maybe you’ve seen it.”
I cannot believe how fast this big guy is.”
The encounter with Cyborg marked one of Jeffries’ last BJJ training sessions before a year-long hiatus as he traveled around Asia with his family. The Olympic boxer would later return to consistent BJJ training in Australia, where he eventually competed in and won the Australian National Championships as a white belt.
The viral sparring session with Cyborg represents a significant moment in Jeffries’ martial arts journey, highlighting his transition from Olympic boxing to embracing the challenges of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It serves as a testament to his willingness to step outside his comfort zone and learn from the best in a completely different martial art.
The experience helped shape Jeffries’ understanding of BJJ and contributed to his growing passion for the sport, which would eventually lead to his successful competition debut at the Australian National Championships.
