Robert Desharnais MMA Capital interview on boxing talks

The Robert Desharnais MMA Capital interview brought an update for fans waiting to see him fight again: offers have come through during his time away, but none has lined up. Desharnais told MMA Capital that he still trains five to six days a week, has used the break to recover from injuries and is talking with boxing promotions about a possible December bout, pending medicals.

What did Robert Desharnais say about time off from fighting?

Robert Desharnais said the time away since his last bout in 2024 has been difficult because potential fights have not materialized. It has also given him a chance to recover properly. He said he has stayed active and focused, even as the prospect of a return has alternated between promising and quiet periods.

Offers and opponents’ names have come up, he explained, but the arrangements never lined up. Without a date to work toward, he compared the restless feeling to cabin fever. He also sees a risk in taking too much time away from training: he worries he would get too comfortable on the couch.

Desharnais identified injury recovery as the biggest benefit of the break. He has been able to rest and go through therapy for problems that might otherwise receive less attention during a fight camp. Desharnais put the pattern plainly:

i've gone into every fight camp with an injury so far

Outside camp, he can eat more freely and carry less of the mental pressure that comes with preparing for an opponent. During camp, he said, it is hard to forget that someone is training to hit him. Time off lets him ease that constant sense that he should be doing more.

How does Robert Desharnais stay in shape between fights?

Robert Desharnais said he keeps a five- to six-day weekly training schedule even when no fight is booked. He also chooses physical work outside fighting and looks for active ways to use his energy. His routine is less restrictive than a fight camp, but he continues to prioritize movement and generally tries to avoid junk food.

Skateboarding and daily activity

Last summer, Desharnais returned to skateboarding, something he had not done in years. He said he is worse at it than he used to be, though he wondered whether it might help his footwork. The point was to find another activity that kept him mobile and healthy while he waited for a fight.

Fight-camp meals and Amaranth Market

His wife prepares meals for him during fight camps so he does not have to think about food planning. Away from camp, he cooks and barbecues for himself rather than following the same strict schedule. He said he eats game meats such as elk and deer, along with buffalo, and shops for produce and meat at Amaranth Market near his home in Calgary. The market is about a five-minute walk away, he said.

Group classes at his gym

Desharnais has his own gym, where he has been teaching one-on-one private sessions and plans to start group classes. He is also looking at a newer gym south of him in Calgary because he wants to keep learning from other places. He had planned to visit earlier, but an injury to one of his children disrupted those plans; he said his child has recovered well.

What did Robert Desharnais say about bare-knuckle training and his amateur loss?

Robert Desharnais said bare-knuckle heavy-bag work has felt natural to him since childhood, long before he competed professionally. He also discussed his one amateur loss without treating it as a reason to stop: he had intended to move into professional fighting quickly and credited his opponent for executing a different plan.

His amateur fight before turning professional

Desharnais said he began competing in commissioned events later than many fighters, despite training throughout his life. He did not want to spend long in the amateurs. He described the amateur bout as something he needed in order for a commission outside Canada to book him. The fight did not go as he envisioned, but he said he enjoyed the crowd and being part of the show.

Heavy-bag training from a young age

He recalled hitting an old canvas-style heavy bag without gloves when he was about 10 or younger. Although he has had fractured and broken knuckles, he believes years of routine bare-knuckle work have conditioned his hands. He has tried other hand-conditioning methods but has not found them as convincing as his usual training.

For sparring, Desharnais said he uses quick gel hand wraps that cover his knuckles and fasten around his wrists. He distinguished that protective setup, which also matters for other people in training, from the bare-knuckle bag work he grew up doing.

What did Robert Desharnais say about a possible boxing fight?

Robert Desharnais said he is speaking with several boxing organizations about putting on gloves, including talks concerning a possible December fight. Nothing was settled: he said he still needed to get through medicals. He is eager to compete again and described visualization as part of how he sets goals for a bout.

The goal for his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut

Before his Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut, Desharnais wanted to finish the fight in 40 seconds or less. He won by knockout in 34 seconds. He described that target as an example of pairing a clear mental picture with the work needed to make it happen.

A knockout he hopes to produce with gloves

Desharnais said he has a particular knockout image in mind, especially for a boxing debut with gloves. He would also welcome the chance to pursue it in bare-knuckle fighting if the right opportunity arose. For now, the boxing discussions and required medicals remain the concrete steps he identified toward another fight.

How did Robert Desharnais create Shop DRNA?

Robert Desharnais created merchandise designs using skills he picked up while working in other industries. He said his background includes sales, marketing and some web design, which led him to try graphic design. Shop DRNA has been online for years and tends to draw more sales when he has a fight coming up.

His merchandise is not limited to clothing. Desharnais said accessories such as stickers and mugs also sell from time to time. He directs people to Shop DRNA through links on his social accounts, including Instagram and X, rather than presenting the designs as a new project created during this break.

He was modest about his design skills, saying they do not compare with those of a professional graphic designer. Still, the shop gives him a use for experience gained outside fighting and a way for supporters to find his merchandise between bouts.

What advice would Robert Desharnais give his younger self?

Robert Desharnais said he would tell his younger self to hang in there and stick with his goals. He described himself as stubborn and hard to redirect as a child, so he doubted that a long speech would have changed him. His advice came from acknowledging setbacks rather than pretending his path had been direct.

Looking back, Desharnais said he had taken wrong turns and encountered obstacles but felt he was getting where he wanted to go. He also spoke about quieting the self-critical voice that can make it harder to continue. When the conversation turned to a possible warning for his younger self, he added that he might tell him not to smoke.

That perspective fits the way he described his current break: staying with training while accepting that a return depends on more than his own readiness. His immediate focus remains on continuing the work and finding the next fight that comes together.

Who is Robert Desharnais?

Robert Desharnais, known as The Slim Reaper, is a professional fighter in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship featherweight division. He won his BKFC debut by knockout in 34 seconds and has a 2-0 record in the sport.