An Unexpected Connection: Training with Jamaine Ortiz

On May 22nd, 2022, as I boarded my flight out of Richmond, Virginia, I reflected on an amateur boxing show I had just attended with Richmond Boxing Club in North Carolina. While scanning the CES Boxing Instagram page, I came across news of Jamaine Ortiz's dominant victory over former world champion Jamel Herring at the Resort World Event Center in Las Vegas. Ortiz fought under the same promoter as Juiseppe Cusumano, Jimmy Burchfield of CES Promotions. Although I’d never met Jamaine, I was impressed by his performance and thought, "Maybe one day, I’ll get to work with an up-and-coming fighter like him." At the time, my business, FARMERSTRENGTH™, had just started, and my mind was filled with dreams and possibilities.

A few days later, on May 25th, I saw a post from Jamaine standing with the four belts he had earned. Once again, I found myself thinking that maybe, one day, FARMERSTRENGTH™ would grow to the point where fighters like Jamaine would come to Costa Rica to participate in my “Pre-Camps”—a 7-10 day conditioning camp deep in nature. Little did I know, this thought would soon become a reality.

Jamaine and Juiseppe Cusumano were part of the same stable of fighters. Juiseppe had recently been in Costa Rica and had asked me to help manage his social media, something I now do for numerous fighters. On June 2nd, a message came into Juiseppe's inbox from Jamaine, who was vacationing in Costa Rica. He was curious about the person Juiseppe had worked with during his trip. At that moment, I was reminded of the power of manifestation. A chance connection had been made, and it felt like a bit of magic from the universe.

I soon connected with Jamaine, and we made arrangements to meet. Although he was on vacation in Manuel Antonio, he had just received the call to return to training—something was brewing. His professionalism struck me immediately. Despite being fresh off a major victory, Jamaine had already reset his focus and had his next goal in sight.

On June 3rd, I had planned to coach a youth boxing class at Boxeo Quepos, a local gym led by the incredibly hardworking Coach Malena and her team. The work they do with limited resources is truly inspiring. I arranged for Jamaine to visit the gym after the youth class. His presence left a lasting impression.

What stood out to me about Jamaine was his focus and humility. He carried himself with grace and set a remarkable example for the young boxers. Being bilingual, he delivered an inspiring speech in Spanish, captivating the eager group with stories of his experiences, including fighting on ESPN. He even treated them to some shadow boxing, leaving the kids in awe. Jamaine was kind, patient, and generous with his time as each young boxer lined up to take a photo with him. In just one hour, he left a mark that I’m sure will impact those kids for years to come. He truly deserves all the success the sport has to offer.

Part of my FARMERSTRENGTH™ camps involves a particular mountain route that anyone who completes it won’t soon forget. Jamaine and I arranged to run this mountain route on the Sunday, followed by bodyweight training and breathwork. That day gave me a beautiful lesson in what it’s like to be around someone chasing greatness.

On a good day, I usually run at about an 8 to 9-minute mile pace. But early into our 10K run—5K up the mountain and back—it became clear I was dealing with a different breed. Jamaine, with his strong cross-country running background, took off like a gazelle. My neighbor, Martin, who saw us running, later mentioned how Jamaine carried a “ferocious energy.” Martin was spot-on.

After the run, we moved on to 40-meter hill sprints. With each sprint, Jamaine got faster, showing an impressive level of endurance and drive. We then did a bodyweight session using resistance bands and rocks. That day, I became a better coach, realizing just how much "doing a little extra" can lead to significant results.

Where Jamaine and I really connected was during the breathwork session that followed. It was his first time trying this type of session, and it was a powerful experience. We were perched over the jungle canopy in Costa Rica, and as we progressed through the rounds of Wim Hof-style breathing, Jamaine handled it like a natural. Afterward, he spoke about feeling recharged and even a bit out-of-body—a clear sign of a successful session.

I often quote Rickson Gracie, who said, “The technique of breathing with the diaphragm is not as complicated as people think. Its benefits are hard to overstate and encompass many aspects of life.” Life begins and ends with the breath, yet so few people practice it. Jamaine’s newfound appreciation for breathwork left a lasting impression on both of us.

The following night, I picked Jamaine up to take him to Hermosa Boxing Camp, where my friend and Head Coach, Pancho Spangenburg, runs his gym. Despite torrential rain and 4-5 inches of standing water on the dirt road, Jamaine’s dedication to his training never wavered. That night, he trained alongside two up-and-coming fighters, Justin Sotelo and Ziggy Myrie, both amateur boxers at the time, as Coach Pancho put Jamaine through mitt work rounds. Jamaine’s willingness to drive an hour while on vacation, just to fit in training, was incredibly impressive.

Later that summer, it was announced that Jamaine would face Vasyl Lomachenko, one of the biggest fights of 2022. While Jamaine hadn’t mentioned his next opponent while in Costa Rica, his reaction to “it’s time to go to work” left an unforgettable memory.

In the lead-up to the fight, we continued to do breathwork sessions virtually. In fact, the night before the Ortiz-Lomachenko fight, we completed a session just before midnight. Jamaine’s dedication and calm before such a massive event spoke volumes.

Though Jamaine lost to Lomachenko by unanimous decision, many believed it was a closer fight than the scorecards suggested. Regardless, he confirmed his place as one of the world’s top fighters. Ranked 28th globally and 11th in the USA by BoxRec, I have no doubt Jamaine will soon have a world title belt around his waist.

Thank you for enjoying my blog. You can enjoy more by clicking here