In today’s episode of Voices of Valor, we sit down with James de Lacey, strength and conditioning coach and founder of Sweet Science of Fighting. From New Zealand to Romania to Austin, James has coached across rugby and combat sports.

‍

We dig into why importing high-performance systems into the U.S. only works when you americanize them, how rugby concepts translate to the NFL, and why most combat sports conditioning still gets it wrong. James breaks down the myths around road work, explains how to build true fight-specific conditioning, and shares the lessons he’s taken from rugby into MMA. We also cover weightlifting’s brutal demands, family–career tradeoffs, and the long-shot move that changed his career.Whether you coach teams or train fighters, this episode gives you practical coaching lessons, science-backed training insights, and a blueprint for structuring combat sports like never before.

‍

🎧 Tune in for conversations on sports science, real-world coaching lessons, and building athletes who last.

‍

👉 Check out James’s work:

https://sweetscienceoffighting.com

https://liftbigeatbig.comTimestamps:

🎙️ Hosted by: Michael Macri

⭐️ Featuring: James de Lacey

‍

Remember to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode of Voices of Valor. 🛎️