'Broken' Josh Hinger Almost Didn't Compete At No-Gi Worlds
Josh Hinger put himself in some elite company over the weekend by becoming just the second American to ever win the IBJJF No-Gi World Championships three times. The only other of course being current Bellator #1 contender and grappling great, Rafael Lovato Jr.
Josh Hinger has now won the tournament three consecutive years (2016, 2017, 2018) at the black belt level and this year he was more dominant than ever. He capped off an impressive campaign through the medium-heavyweight division with a north south choke finish in the finals over Marcos Tinoco.
But as dominant as the Atos black belt may have looked, he almost didn't compete. With injuries piling up and a recently 'popped' knee, Josh thought about pulling out of the tournament on more than one occasion. Listen to the full interview above.
"Honestly I had so much doubt coming into this. I pulled my pec a few weeks ago, it’s been killing me today. I popped my knee in the match with Lovato, I didn’t tell anyone about that. Two weeks ago I couldn’t walk for a week. It’s unreal, I just try to go out there and do the best I can. That’s all you can do."
