Holiday dreams get McDonnell through camp

For Jamie McDonnell, it is all about day dreaming of his next holiday.

“Whenever I get a date set in stone I’ll start looking for the next holiday,” McDonnell said ahead of Saturday’s WBA title defence against Liborio Solis in Monte Carlo.

“Once this fight in Monte Carlo was confirmed and announced, I got straight on the internet. I’m taking our lass and our daughter to Mexico, back to the hotel where we got married.

“So when I get a bit frustrated or bored over the last few weeks before the fight, I’ll get on the internet and have a look at the place and what we can do while we’re there.

“You need something to get you through the last few days before you start with all the stuff like the weigh in that comes just before it. I’ll be flying out to Monte Carlo on the Wednesday and I know I’ll be all right after that.”

Focusing on a holiday is a departure for McDonnell whose biggest mental niggle in the past was food. But he says bringing a nutritionist on board over the last year has made life much easier when it comes to eating during camp.

He said: “I’d be a nightmare at this point with craving food but it’s been spot on in this camp. I’ve stuck to what the nutritionist has said when it comes to cheat meals but it’s really helped that the stuff I’ve been eating has been really tasty a lot of the time.

“And I’ve been eating as well rather than starving myself and boiling down like I was in the past So it’s all gone well with that. Don’t get me wrong though. I’m still looking forward to eating plenty next week.”