Rob Holdsworth, a current boxer, is a leader in Mindset Coaching and Hypnotherapy for combat athletes. With 6+ years of experience, he has worked with over 1,000 fighters, including some of the biggest names in the sport, helping them achieve consistent peak performance and career-defining win streaks. Combining conscious and subconscious techniques, Rob empowers fighters to take control of their mental game, which he believes accounts for 80% of success in combat sports. He is the creator of the Combat Psyche Fighter's Journal, a unique tool to complement both physical and mental training. Rob's mission is to help athletes unlock their full potential and dominate in every aspect of their careers
Rob Holdsworth, Mindset Coach and Performance Hypnotherapist
Introduce yourself! Please tell us about you and your life, so we can get to know you better.
I’m Rob Holdsworth, a Mindset Coach and Performance Hypnotherapist for combat sports athletes, originally from Leeds, United Kingdom. I split my time between Leeds and Adelaide, Australia, but I also travel extensively, connecting with fighters and immersing myself in the combat sports world.
A typical day for me involves waking up early, hitting the gym, working with clients, and then exploring the world with my family, my wife and our two boys, Theodore (3) and Lachlan (1 month). I’m passionate about living with as much freedom as possible, homeschooling my children, and teaching them about the world through experience rather than the traditional classroom setting.
I’ve always been fascinated by human psychology and behaviour, particularly how we can manipulate our minds to shape our reality. Combining this passion with my own background in boxing naturally led me to coaching combat sports athletes. I also enjoy exploring new gyms and connecting with fighters wherever I travel.
I can understand and speak Spanish (though not fluently yet) and plan to spend time in Spain in 2025 to improve. Fun fact: I used to write and produce music from 2018 to 2021.
My favourite quote, from Marcus Aurelius, perfectly reflects my life philosophy: "You have power over your mind, not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength." This philosophy drives my mission to empower others to take control of their minds and their realities.
How do you integrate philosophies like Stoicism, NLP, and CBT into your coaching to empower fighters to reach their full potential?
I integrate Stoicism, NLP, and CBT into my coaching by focusing on the concepts of resilience, awareness, and positive reframing, tailored to each fighter’s unique needs.
From a Stoic perspective, I teach fighters to remain indifferent to setbacks and challenges, helping them move seamlessly through adversities in their careers. It's about staying strong and steadfast, making the journey more enjoyable despite inevitable difficulties. My fighters learn to observe negative thoughts and emotions without judgment, allowing them to pass more quickly rather than being trapped in rumination.
Using NLP, I emphasise the power of language and visualisation. I guide fighters to recognise and replace negative language with positive, impactful expressions, which reshapes their perception of reality. Hypnotherapy plays a key role in this process, as we focus on their goals and the positive emotions associated with achieving them. This connection to their future keeps them excited and motivated, even in the face of obstacles.
CBT comes into play through tools like journaling and structured awareness practices. I developed a model called ALUR (Acknowledge, Label, Understand, Redirect) to help fighters challenge and reframe negative thoughts effectively. My Fighter’s Journal provides a practical framework for consistent reflection and growth, ensuring that fighters stay connected to the great work they’re already doing.
Ultimately, my coaching is about helping fighters let go of pressure and embrace their authentic selves in the cage or ring. By focusing on where they’re going rather than where they’ve been, we reframe setbacks as part of the journey and maintain excitement about the road ahead. This approach allows them to perform with flow and confidence, bringing out their best on fight night.
Can you share a memorable success story from working with one of the over 1,000 fighters you’ve coached?
One standout success story comes from a client who was on a five-fight losing streak and struggling with significant mental blockages. The weight of his losses was causing him to doubt his abilities and question his future in the sport. Through our work together, we focused on reframing his past experiences, shifting from seeing them as failures to viewing them as valuable lessons he could learn from, rather than allowing them to define him.
Using techniques like releasing mental blockages, reframing negative memories, and visualising a positive future, he began to feel empowered, in control, and excited about what lay ahead. The transformation was remarkable. He not only broke the losing streak but went on a six-fight win streak, turning his record into a positive one.
This success culminated in him turning professional in MMA, entering his new career with confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. He now feels he has extracted the most out of his amateur career and is ready to embrace his professional journey with a winning mindset. It’s stories like this that remind me why I do what I do, helping fighters reconnect with their potential and reignite their passion for the sport.
How does the Fighter’s Journal complement the physical and mental training of combat athletes, and what inspired you to create it?
The Fighter’s Journal was inspired by a common issue I observed: many fighters fall into the routine of simply showing up to training, labelling sessions as ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ and then moving on without truly connecting to their work. This black-and-white thinking can prevent them from learning and progressing as effectively as they could.
The journal addresses this by encouraging fighters to set clear intentions for each session, reflect on their experiences, and, most importantly, identify the type of fighter they were during training. This last element is key to enhancing their self-image. The journal also includes prompts for gratitude, emotional awareness, and thoughts, helping fighters take a more holistic approach to their growth.
Designed for daily use, the journal creates a purposeful structure that helps fighters reflect on what’s working, what’s not, and how they’re progressing over time. With 60 entries, it allows them to look back over two months of training and see tangible progress, boosting their confidence and reinforcing their commitment to improvement.
Fighters who have used the journal report feeling more intentional and purposeful during their sessions, which has led to noticeable improvements in their training outcomes and overall mindset. While it’s designed to complement my coaching, it’s also a tool fighters can use independently to bridge the gap between physical training and mental preparation, ensuring they maximise every moment in and out of the gym.
What are your future goals for expanding your services and supporting fighters in overcoming financial and mental barriers in their careers?
The ability to invest in one-on-one coaching is transformative, but financial constraints often limit access for many fighters. In 2025, I’m focusing on giving back by launching fundraisers to bridge this financial gap and support fighters in pursuing their careers without financial stress. My passion for their success goes beyond the gym; helping them financially as well as mentally would mean the world to me.
To expand accessibility, I recently co-created an online platform, Fight Camp Global, with my business partner, Leo Howson. This self-guided program offers mindset coaching at a fraction of the cost of one-on-one work, making it more attainable for fighters at all levels. I’m also actively connecting with fighters, coaches, and gyms worldwide, offering talks, group sessions, and workshops to spread these vital tools.
My ultimate goal is to bring mindset coaching to the forefront of combat sports. Everyone acknowledges that the game is 80% mental, yet it’s often the most neglected area. I want this work to be as integral to a fighter’s preparation as their strength coach or nutritionist, ensuring every fighter has the chance to succeed, no matter their circumstances.
What is Fight Camp Global?
Fight Camp Global is an online self-guided platform I co-created with my business partner, Leo Howson. It’s designed to make elite mindset coaching accessible to fighters at all levels and at a fraction of the cost of one-on-one work. This platform empowers fighters to train their minds alongside their physical craft, ensuring they develop the mental tools needed to thrive in the high-pressure world of combat sports.
Fight Camp Global offers structured guidance, resources, and exercises that address common mental challenges fighters face, such as self-doubt, performance anxiety, and maintaining focus under pressure. The aim is to provide fighters with the strategies they need to take control of their thoughts, emotions, and self-image, helping them consistently perform at their peak.
The platform is part of my mission to expand access to mental training in combat sports, ensuring fighters at every stage of their journey can benefit from this transformative work, regardless of financial or logistical constraints.
If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be and why?
If I could change one thing about the combat sports industry, it would be the stigma surrounding mindset work. While stigma exists in many areas of life, it feels especially strong in combat sports, where there's often an outdated "grit it out" mentality. Some fighters believe that pushing through challenges without addressing the mental side is the only way forward. However, the psychology behind fighting is becoming more recognized, and I'm committed to making it an essential, globally recognized part of training.
A significant barrier is the lack of awareness and education about the importance of mindset work. Many fighters don't understand how much unlearning they need to do before they can fully benefit from this kind of training. Through psycho-education, I help fighters grasp why they’re feeling, thinking, and behaving in certain ways, providing a foundation for real transformation.
I’d also love to see fighters openly discuss their mindset journeys. There's still a misconception that talking about mental challenges is a sign of weakness, but in reality, it's an act of strength. Honest conversations create clarity, self-awareness, and growth, and it's something I actively encourage in my coaching.
To tackle these issues, I developed my four-step Mindset Mastery Blueprint, a foundational framework that equips fighters with the tools to control their reactions, thoughts, and emotions. I've seen over 1,000 fighters, many of whom began as skeptics, transform their mindset and their careers through this work. The simplicity and clarity of this approach make it accessible and effective, and I believe it has the power to reshape the combat sports industry.
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