UFC 141 Results: How Nate Diaz's Antics Threw Donald Cerrone off His Game

In the sport of mixed martial arts, the majority of fighters prefer not to fight with emotion. This is in large part due to the impact it has on a fighter’s ability to focus and execute their game plan.

There are certainly exceptions to every trend, and in MMA the Diaz brothers are proof of this.

Leading up to the co-main event of UFC 141, lightweight Nate Diaz used a myriad of trash-talking, taunts and physical altercations to get into the head of his opponent, Donald Cerrone.

The antics were very reminiscent of his older brother, Nick, who has employed similar tactics in the past to get under the skin of his opponents.

Cerrone’s frustration and anger toward Diaz was obvious during the pre-fight press conference, especially after Diaz knocked off his cowboy hat during the staredown.

As the pair stepped into the cage, rather than touch gloves, Cerrone raised a middle finger toward his opponent. Clearly, Diaz’s mind games had worked.

The opening round of the fight was a testament to why most fighters prefer not to fight with emotion. An angry Cerrone stood right in front of Diaz, swinging for the fences and absorbing punch after punch. When the bell sounded, Cerrone was battered and bloodied.

Following the dominant first round by Diaz, Cerrone settled down and utilized his full arsenal of Muay Thai striking and head movement in the second round. But unfortunately for the former WEC title challenger, the damage had already been done. Diaz claimed the decision on all three scorecards.

Although the pair settled their differences and gave each other respect after the fight, the effectiveness of Diaz’s pre-fight antics cannot be denied.

Rob Tatum is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. You can also find Rob’s work at TheMMACorner.com.  For anything related to MMA, Follow @RobTatumMMA.