Normally, fighters have other interests outside of boxing. Whether it’s hanging out with their friends, kicking back with their families, or simply traveling the world, they normally find other ways to pass the time.

Shakur Stevenson doesn’t neglect his friends and family but the 26-year-old can usually be spotted in the gym more times than not. There’s something about the smell of that bloody mat, the sweat-filled gloves, and the rubber peeling off the heavy bag that's intoxicating to the former Olympic silver medalist.

The need to always get better, however, might be taking a toll on him. This past Thursday night, in front of a disappointed crowd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, Stevenson’s nonstop work ethic may have burned him out in arguably the biggest fight of his young career.

On the night, Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) was expected to dominate Edwin De Los Santos. According to practically everyone in boxing circles, Stevenson was going to dictate how their showdown played out. If Stevenson wanted to win every second of every round, then he would. If he wanted to play with his food for a few minutes before eventually stopping him in the later rounds, then he would do that.

In the opening round, Stevenson spent most of it staring at the Dominican. In the second and third, it was much of the same. An anxious crowd went from sitting on the edge of their seats to reclining back with their eyes closed. Those who managed to stay awake rewarded Stevenson with nonstop boos.

After 36 mundane minutes, Stevenson was given a wide unanimous decision victory. But even with the newly won WBC lightweight title, Stevenson wasn’t satisfied with his performance. Usually, the first thing he does after picking up a win is head back to the gym. Now, nevertheless, he plans on switching up his routine.

“I had a bad performance,” admitted Stevenson on the post-fight telecast. “I gotta take some breaks. I gotta stop being in the gym all the time. That’s how you cause injuries. That’s how your body gets a little fatigued.”

The holidays are officially here. Stevenson is just a few days away from carving up his turkey dinner and he’s roughly a month away from singing Christmas Carols while unwrapping gifts.

In the past, he still found the time to enjoy his holiday season while also making frequent trips to the gym. This time around, Stevenson plans on staying far away from the gym for as long as possible.

“I gotta take a little break and relax a little bit.”