When a World Record Cyclist Steps Into a Boxing Ring - And Altitude Changes Everything

April 27, 2026 | By Stan Pillman

A former UK Special Forces operator, double Guinness World Record holder, and one of the most decorated adventurers alive just fought a 10-round — wait, scratch that — a three-round boxing match at altitude. And he didn't just win. He got stronger as the rounds went on.

Dean Stott isn't easy to introduce. Former UK Tier 1 Special Forces (SBS). World record cyclist — twice. Security consultant to presidents, royal families, and governments. Author. Netflix host. And now, a first-time competitive boxer at 49 years old who just stepped into the ring for Big Sky Bravery, a nonprofit that supports active-duty Special Forces families by giving them time in Montana's outdoors before the cracks form.

The fight raised $2.1 million in a single night.

Not a bad reason to put on a pair of gloves.

The Last Time He Fought Was 1999

Dean's last boxing match was in 1999, when he was 22 and still in the military. So when he found out about this fight online — just 10 weeks out — and threw his name in the hat, he knew a few things:

He was probably the oldest guy there. His opponent turned out to be 18 years younger and still actively serving in the Special Forces community. And the fight was in Bozeman, Montana — at altitude.

For most people, those are three reasons to pass. For Dean Stott, those are three reasons to get to work.

"People don't realize you're at your endurance peak between 40 and 50," he told us. "It's not because you're fitter. It's because you're wiser."

The Altitude Edge Nobody Else Planned For

Dean already had a relationship with altitude from his Pan-American Highway ride — the 14,000-mile cycling challenge from the southern tip of South America to the northern end of Alaska, which he completed in 99 days, 12 hours, and 56 minutes, smashing the world record by 17 days. That ride took him through altitude ranges across multiple continents. He understood what elevation does to the body better than almost anyone.

So when he started his 10-week boxing training block in Southern California — training at sea level, juggling work, travel, and kids — he called Hypoxico. Not to train in a tent. To sleep in one.

"Some people call it training while you sleep. I was getting benefits while I wasn't actually physically in the gym."

The setup made sense for his life. He was still working. Still traveling. A three-year-old daughter occasionally wandering into the spare room at 2am and forcing him to shut it down. But the beauty of the Hypoxico system is flexibility — miss a night, top up during the day. Thirty minutes. An hour. Your body stays in the adaptive state.

The Park City Moment That Proved Everything

Halfway through training, Dean had to travel to Park City, Utah — sitting at roughly 7,000 feet. He went straight to the gym. No headaches. No disrupted sleep. Full training session, no problem.

Breakfast the next morning? The other guests were a different story.

"They were like, 'Oh, I was having bad dreams, I had a disruptive sleep pattern.' Whereas for me, I was already used to that."

That's the thing about altitude adaptation — you don't see it happening. There's no muscle in the mirror, no six-pack to track. You just keep sleeping, keep topping up, keep trusting the process. And then you land somewhere high and realize every other person in the room is struggling while you're ordering eggs.

"If I hadn't gone to Park City, I still might have been questioning whether this was actually working."

Round Two: He Got Stronger

Bozeman sits at around 4,800 feet. Dean's opponent didn't account for it. Dean had been sleeping at significantly higher simulated altitude for weeks.

"In the second round, I could see — only halfway through — he was tired. And I was actually feeling stronger as the rounds went on."

After the fight, his opponent was honest about it. He told Dean he had underestimated the altitude. It was a factor he hadn't trained for. Meanwhile, Dean said Bozeman felt like sea level — because as far as his body was concerned, it basically was.

"For me, I felt like I was still back in Southern California. My opponent did not feel that way."

Three rounds. Three two-minute rounds. It doesn't sound like much from the man who cycled through a tornado in Central America and rode 340 miles in a single day on the Pan-American Highway. But boxing fitness is its own animal.

"You can be a great boxer and gas out in the first round, and there's not much you can do. Or you can be an average boxer who sustains himself through three rounds."

Dean sustained. His opponent didn't.

What's Next

Dean is eyeing the San Diego Masters boxing tournament in July. But the bigger horizon is Race Across America 2027 — Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland — with two eight-man teams, a mix of novice and experienced riders, and a mission to raise awareness for human trafficking.

There's also raw documentary footage from the Pan-American Highway ride that's been sitting in a vault for eight years. Conversations with documentary teams are underway. The world may finally get to see what 99 days on the longest road in the world actually looked like from the inside.

And the MBE he received from King Charles last year — for services to humanitarian work, sport, and mental health — was itself a ripple effect from a bike ride that started because he needed to get off the couch.

"It's never too late to start a sport. And to be quite good at it."

The Takeaway for Anyone on the Fence

Dean's advice for anyone considering altitude training is simple: try it. You won't see it working in the mirror. You'll see it when you land somewhere high and everyone else is struggling to walk from A to B.

He also passed along a name to a friend heading to a high-altitude wedding in Ecuador — a guy so worried about altitude sickness he was considering skipping it entirely. Dean's advice? Use the tent before you go. Show up already acclimated.

"Hypoxico makes my life a lot easier. I've physically seen the benefits. I will use it for all my future challenges."

From world records to boxing rings to Race Across America — Dean Stott keeps raising the bar. And he's sleeping at altitude every step of the way.

Want to train like Dean? Explore the Hypoxico altitude tent systems and get started.

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