Behind the Scenes: UFC Fighters and Their Weirdest Pre-Fight Rituals
MMA is a high-risk and high-reward sport that involves a lot of pressure, where fighters spend most of their time training to reach their limits. Still, for most of the UFC fighters, more than training or learning their opponents’ moves, getting into the right frame of mind for a fight is an important thing. They use all sorts of odd and unusual practices to relax before a bout, to motivate themselves, or to get the spirit that is required inside the cage. These pre-fight warm-up exercises include such things as dancing like Michael Jackson and even making faces, which are as far from normal as can be imagined, and this shows how some fighters have strange ways of getting ready for battle. Here are some of the most bizarre warm-up and preparation routines ever seen from UFC fighters. 1.Lyoto Machida: He Drinks His Own Urine Among the most unusual warm-up exercises that have ever been associated with a UFC fight comes from Lyoto Machida, the former UFC light heavyweight champion. The 32-year-old fighter is famous for his karate-based moves and heretical strikes in the cage, and as for his strange warm-up routine, he drinks his own urine. Machida says that taking urine is healthy for him as it aids in cleaning the body and recycling nutrients. Although there is no scientific evidence to prove this, Machida says that his father brought him up on it, and he has been practicing it to the letter for years. He even attributed this ritual as one of the reasons for his success, saying that it prepares him both mentally and physically. While this has drawn the ire of fans and his fellow fighters, Machida has stood his ground, saying that it is a cultural thing and that it helps him. This aspect of his strict adherence to this peculiar practice is reflective of his general philosophy toward conditioning and combat—a very systematic and unorthodox way of thinking. *Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone: Boxers Jump Before Battles Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is one of the most entertaining and unpredictable fighters in the history of the UFC because of his readiness to fight at any time and place. Cerrone’s warm-up, where he does activities that are thrilling, such as skydiving or wakeboarding, before a fight is as unique as the fighting style. To Cerrone, fighting can be nerve-wracking, and the way to relax is not to sit in a quiet room and meditate, but to go skydiving. To quote the man himself, prior to fighting, he places himself in life-or-death situations, as this helps him to remove fear. This despite the fact that Cerrone has stated in interviews, “How can I be afraid of a fight when I’ve just been flying through the air at 12,000 feet?” This might sound anti-logical to many, but for Cerrone, it gets him all pumped up and prepares him for the fight; it helps him focus. It is also indicative of his rather flamboyant character, be it in and out of the cage. 3. Ronda Rousey: I am listening to ‘Sexual Healing.’ Ronda Rousey, the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion and trailblazer for women’s MMA, had a surprising pre-fight tradition: This is a real story of how Khabib Nurmagomedov used to warm up to the song Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye before a fight in the Octagon. Unlike most fighters who select fast music to energize themselves, Rousey selected a slow and sultry number to relax her and concentrate. To Rousey, music was a tool that helped her manage her emotions as well as temper her aggression prior to a bout. With the help of “sexual healing,” she was able to reduce stress that is inherent for the top-level fighter who has to perform constantly. It’s a clear case of how each fighter’s training of the mind is individualized by the fighter’s personality. This shows how Rousey was able to maintain a calm attitude when competing in such a high-pressure match, which was a big factor in her being such a champion. 4. Georges St-Pierre: Obsessive Routine and OCD Tendencies Georges St-Pierre (GSP), arguably one of the most skilled fighters in the history of MMA, was not only a master of the fight game on the inside of the cage but also a workaholic outside of it. GSP himself was not shy in admitting that he has OCD, and it was a big part of his preparation before the fight. The measures of precaution that St-Pierre took went to almost every part of his life in the buildup to the fight. He would do the same thing over and over and be extremely pious about the schedules as to when he ate, trained, or visualized meals, training, and visualizations. This highly structured methodology assisted GSP to deal with the nerves and to be mentally ready for the fight, which is actually a chaos. His rigorous training has been attributed to the fact that he has been able to retain his status as one of the best athletes for quite some time because he did not miss any aspect of his training. To GSP, these superstitions were not just silly beliefs, but the idea behind them made a lot of sense in the context of the otherwise unpredictable sport of MMA. 5.Quinton “Rampage” Jackson: Scent of the Woods Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the former UFC light heavyweight champion known for his ferocious fighting style and knockout power, had one particularly strange pre-fight habit: spraying a liberal amount of cologne before he enters the cage of the UFC. Although this might seem quite mild compared with other ceremonies on this list, Jackson’s choice of the cologne was not a regular one. He would spray himself with some cologne that had some sort of scent of the forest; this made him say he smelled like a forest. For Jackson, it was all about the psychology of the ritual. He felt that the smell was grounding him and linking him to the basic animal instincts, which
Behind the Scenes: The Making of a UFC Pay-Per-View Event
The UFC fights are known to the audience as fast, intense, and spectacular spectacles viewed by millions of people all over the globe. Every single PPV fight night is a show, and it presents the best of the best in mixed martial arts (MMA). However, the successful performance of these events is due to the planning, organization, and hard work of many people behind the scenes. This article seeks to detail some of the complicated steps that go into creating a given UFC PPV spectacle, beginning with planning and propaganda and ending with the fight of the night in the Octagon cage. The Initial Planning Phase Event Scheduling or Venue Selection The UFC PPV event starts with the schedule-making process and the choice of the arena. The UFC has its own schedule and often secures event venues a year in advance, as seen in the next section. Factors that affect the selection of venue include the market, the practicalities of the area, and tradition. The most preferred cities, such as Las Vegas, New York, and Abu Dhabi, have become firm favorites because of their ability to accommodate numbers and the physical facilities that are prerequisites to most sporting events. Fighter contracts and matchmaking Once the date is set, the promotional division of the UFC, along with matchmakers such as Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard, start building the fight card. This involves signing fighters, which entails things such as rankings, previous fights, and the promotability factor of the fighter. The main event and co-main event are usually the headline matches, which may involve popular athletes or championship matches. Thus, the process of selecting the match effectively presupposes knowledge of the sport, the fighters, and the fans’ preferences. Promotion and marketing Stoking the Fire and Making the World Wait Promotion is a very important aspect that should be given much attention in the event of a PPV. In the case of the UFC, there are several marketing tactics that are used to create anticipation. This entails fighter promotional tours, media conferences, and interviews, among others. UFC has a media team that creates good-quality content, such as trailers, fight previews, and behind-the-scenes content, to capture the attention of their fans. Social media marketing is a key aspect of widening the circulation of promotional items, making them go viral, and interacting with enthusiasts. Embedded Series and Countdown Shows UFC embedded series and countdown shows are part of the promotion that cannot be skipped. These series give a detailed insight into the lives of the fighters, their training, and their psychological preparations for the fight. It not only helps to present fighters as more humane people but also constructs a story that fans can get interested in, feeling closer to the event. The Logistics of Fight Week Fighter Arrivals and Accommodations Fight week can be described as eventful. Contestants, together with their camps, travel to the host city, where they are housed by the UFC. This is quite important because when the fighters are comfortably set and have all their wants met, attention is drawn to the final form of preparation. It’s the UFC staff who organize and plan fights, flights, accommodations, and anything else that fighters and their coaching staff may need. Medical Examinations and Licensing Any fighter who enters the cage must submit himself for a medical checkup to confirm that he or she is healthy to fight. This shall comprise checkups by licensed physicians and general physical, blood, and eye tests. Furthermore, fighters need commissions’ licenses from the athletic commission of the event, which involves paperwork and meeting the regulatory demands of the commission. Media Obligations and Open Workouts Of the many obligations that the media has, some of them include the following: media obligations and open workouts. Throughout fight week, the fighters also engage in several media-related activities, such as interviews, press conferences, and open workout sessions. These are publicity events intended to sustain the fans’ interest and create public awareness. It is also necessary to note that open workouts allow fans to see how the fighters prepare for the bout and to get to know their character, which contributes to the atmosphere around the event. The Weigh-Ins Official Weigh-Ins and Ceremonial Weigh-Ins Scales are obligatory during fight week preparation. They are generally carried out one day before the event. There are two weigh-ins: Before a fight, fighters are required to step on a scale at two types of weigh-ins: the official weigh-in, in which they have to be within their contracted weight, and the public weigh-in, which is normally done for fans and the media. The next day is normally the time for the pre-fight parsings, which usually include heart-stopping stares and last words from the fighters. Weight cutting and rehydration The concept of weight cutting describes a situation in which MMA fighters deplete considerable amounts of water in their bodies to fit a specific weight category. Post-weighing, fighters proceed to restore fluid balance as well as energy to prepare and get fit for the actual fight. The UFC has connections to fighters and medical officials that offer nutritionists and doctors to help the fighters really hydrate. Event Day Preparations Setting up the Venue When it comes to the event, the concentration is shifted to the event place. The establishment of the octagon, lighting, sound systems, and broadcasting equipment is a complicated affair that requires the services of many people. The work of the production team in UFC is to have an oversight of everything, ranging from the fireworks that accompany each fighter to the cage to the replays that are done on the screen. Every aspect of the show is therefore choreographed to improve the live and/or viewing experience. Preliminary Stages Before the Fight and the Warm-Up Boxers, for example, reach the venue several hours before their fight time. They are given lockers that they use to warm up, get last-minute instructions from their trainers and coach, and psyche up for the fight. Scheduling and coordination are done