On Thursday, Jelena Mrdjenovich will do something very familiar, yet it will feel so very different.
It will be the 53rd bout of her illustrious boxing career, but it will be her first without longtime trainer Milan Lubovac.
“I was going through quite a bit of depression dealing with this,” Mrdjenovich said on Inside Sports with Reid Wilkins, adding that Lubovac is like a second father to her.
Lubovac suffered cardiac arrest on Feb. 18.
“Right now, he is vegetative status. It doesn’t appear he is going to get any better, though we are trying to be very hopeful,” explained Mrdjenovich. “But the reality is, he’s been in this situation for close to 10 months.”
Without Lubovac by her side, Mrdjenovich, 38, made the situation to push forward with her career. She’s spent the last several weeks training to defend her WBA featherweight belt against Paolo Torres. The fight will be in Los Angeles.
“The only thing I know that will get me focused and out of this rut I’m in mentally, is to get ready for a fight and go through the process and see if this is something I can still continue to do.”
She tries to keep Lubovac’s wisdom in mind. He would tell her that ultimately, mental strength and stubbornness separates the great fighters from the good ones.
“It’s been a battle. This last week specifically has been very challenging,” she said. “I’m doing this for my mental health. I know that seems kind of backwards, that I’m going to get punched in the face for my mental health.”
Mrdjenovich, whose career record is 40-10-2, said she had a breakdown in the ring last week, crying and shouting in the closed gym. She responded with a furious training session.
“I’m not worried about Paola Torres,” she said. “I actually kind of feel bad for this girl. I went straight savage after I had my breakdown. I was straight savage on my last day of sparring.
“I actually worry about her health because I am going to be straight savage in this fight.”
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