MMA Exclusive: A Champion on Fighting Psychology Ahead of Haye vs. Klitschko

This week I exclusively interviewed Tom "Kong" Watson, BAMMA middleweight champion who recently retired Murilo "Ninja" Rua, about fight psychology, mind-games and the mental aspect of combat sports heading into this weekend’s monumental heavyweight showdown. I subsequently compiled his musings on the topic into this MSN blog entry, a fascinating insight into the psyche of a fighter. Enjoy; 

Buenos dias amigos from New Mexico,

Having watched, and thoroughly enjoyed, the pre-fight build-up to the most anticipated heavyweight showdown of the last decade, I felt compelled to discuss fight psychology and its significance and potential effectiveness within combat sports.

When I initially entered into the world of fighting, people used to tell me that it was 80% mental. With the benefit of hindsight, I don’t necessarily agree with that statement. I believe that when you first get into combat sports, given the lower quality of opponents that you encounter, the physical attributes can outweigh the mental aspect of the game. The higher one rises within MMA, or boxing, the importance of the psychology begins to increase because the upper-echelon combatants tend to be more evenly-matched in terms of their skill-sets, and so the ability to deal with the mental factors of the sport can prove vital.

When I discuss the psychology of combat sports, I am quick to distinguish between pre-fight mental preparation (discipline, composure, relaxation etc) and the hype. Mind-games, trash-talk, kidology (or whatever you choose to label this particular phenomenon) can all impact upon a fight to a certain degree. The ability to gain any sort of psychological edge heading into a fight should be taken, but I do feel at the elite level of competition, that mind-games only play a small role for the most part.

For example, this weekend, Haye has attempted some extravagant mind-games, and seemingly unnerved the giant Ukrainian to a certain extent, but ultimately Wladimir is a seasoned professional/champion and hence the pre-fight antics will only have a small bearing on his performance and the outcome of the fight. Similarly, Wlad’s patronising approach towards Haye will not factor into the fight as it doesn’t appear to have irritated David in the slightest. Wlad may believe that he is a more experienced veteran in the professional ranks but David also has an extensive amateur background, so the disparity isn’t that vast.

Of course there are other tactics apart from trash-talk that can give you the edge heading into a fight. A fighter’s pre-fight demeanour (at press conferences), the stare-down, a lack of talk etc can all serve to discourage an opponent, but more importantly, can help a fighter himself feel more confident and comfortable as fight-night approaches. Irrespective of whether it actually makes a difference, whatever helps a fighter to believe in himself more prior to game-time is of paramount importance.

If a fighter isn’t naturally an aggressive person, an antagonistic adversary may benefit him by fuelling the fire. This pertains to my team-mate, Gentlemanly Georges St.Pierre, a martial artist who vehemently believes in the respect that underpins our sport, and so refuses to engage in slagging matches, but (as the old cliché goes) would rather “do his talking” in the cage. That’s his approach, his prerogative, and I respect him for it.

For my last fight with Ninja Rua, I was aware of the Chute box traditional intense pre-fight stare-down, so I decided to play right into this by pretending to be slightly intimidated in order to lull Ninja into a false sense of security. This was almost a case of reverse-psychology (see, us fighters are more intelligent than you think). This is also reminiscent of David’s tactics heading into this weekend, by outright rejecting Klitschko’s numerous offers to shake hands, and in fact completely refusing to accede to the imposing will of his opponent, who is evidently accustomed to getting his own way. It’s astute from the Hayemaker, and psychologically David genuinely feels he has got inside Wlad’s head. Furthermore, some quarters have misconstrued David’s lack of verbal assault since the bout was officially signed as nervousness, but again I believe that David is just subverting expectations by being restrained and focussing fully on the task at hand. In an interesting role reversal, David has effectively coerced the customarily stolid Wladimir into being more vocal. If he pulls off the win, it will be perceived retrospectively as a psychological masterstroke.

With me personally, my pre-fight antics (gorilla mask etc) reveal that I’m a fairly jovial guy who likes to entertain the fans whilst doing the sport I love. In terms of trash-talk, it really depends on the fight, and the specific opponent. If I feel it can help, I’ll incorporate some banter into the build-up. Ordinarily, I’m a reactive person, so if an opponent displays respect then I will act in kind. Conversely, if an opponent opts to direct criticism or insults in my direction, I tend to fight fire with fire, and I think most fighters (with the exception of the likes of GSP) behave in a similar fashion.

When I fought Alex Reid, part of the promotion was the back-and-forth mutual “banter exchange”. Sometimes, the element of hyping the fight with trash-talk can surpass the genuine dislike between two fighters. That’s the fight game. It’s a sport, but simultaneously it’s entertainment. I’m a fan as well as a fighter, and I remember from my youth, the excitement and anticipation of watching Eubank vs Benn, due to the genuine animosity exhibited by both men. An atmosphere was created.

My most inspired pre-fight mind-games were implemented against Mark Epstein; the tension had progressively built up during a number of previous Cage Rage shows and after-parties, and I managed to get inside his head to such an extent that the night prior to the actual fight he refused to stay in the same hotel as me, and couldn’t face some of the press commitments due to his lack of desire to even be in my presence. I had successfully managed to antagonise the man to a level that he literally couldn’t stand the sight of me. Mission accomplished. Conversely, I’ve never been overly-perturbed by the comments of a fellow fighter, I choose not to buy into the trash-talk and generally retain my composure.

People often enquire as to my post-fight relationship with Alex Reid, given the level of pre-fight hostility. I always respected Alex as a fighter, and he often receives unfair criticism due to his TV persona. I wouldn’t say there is any existing tension between the two of us, but neither do we go out and socialise. In all honesty, I’ve never really spoken to the bloke outside of the customary cage pleasantries.

I’ll always shake my opponent’s hand following a fight. After all, we are two consenting adults fighting within the rules of a sport. It would have to be an extreme circumstance for me to continue a grudge after the final bell. Whilst I do believe that trading fists increases your respect for an opponent, I don’t necessarily feel that your opinions on a certain person will dramatically alter after a bout. Klitschko may very well respect David as a fighter come Monday morning, but I doubt he will ever respect him as a person given some of his antics over the past few years, not least the image depicting David knocking off Vitali’s head, to which he understandably took great offense.

There were rumours circulating about a prospective fight between myself and Frank Trigg at BAMMA7, but alas it doesn’t seem like this will actually materialise. He has commentated on one of my MFC fights before, and claimed not to be impressed by my performance (said in my best GSP voice). Frank Trigg is entitled to his opinion, and I have been equally unimpressed with some of his performances. If the fight were to come to fruition, I do believe some reciprocal banter would ensue, given that he is a pretty intelligent guy and seems to market himself well. In fact, thinking about it, he and I would be a recipe for banter, and it would certainly rouse interest amongst the fans.

In terms of epic MMA trash-talkers, I would pinpoint Tito as someone who has successfully crafted a public persona and marketed himself. He may polarise the fans, but just take a look at the success of his “Punishment” brand. He is the original benchmark for brand-building within MMA. Within boxing, the vintage hype-men are generally showmen also, who thrive on the limelight and exploit its gaze, such as Money Mayweather, or looking back further, the great Muhammad Ali. There have been other boxers who have acted even more outrageously than these two characters. A successful sportsman, particularly one that exudes personality, can often transcend their respective sport and draw the attention of non-aficionados worldwide. This is the power of charisma and words when accentuated by sport’s intense spotlight. Just look at the attention focussed on this weekend’s heavyweight clash. David Haye, “the Bermondsey braggart”, has created widespread interest through his witty verbal warfare. I’m even being approached by non-boxing fans asking for my opinion on the outcome.

People have asked me whether David deserves the fight with Wlad at this stage of his career and I firmly believe he does. David may have thrust himself onto the Klitchsko radar through his antics of the past few years, but I don’t subscribe to the theory that David has merely talked his way into this fight, because he is also evidently blessed with great ability. Yes, David’s exploits ultimately lead to the finalisation of the agreement, but David has also proven himself a worthy contender. I could possibly talk my way into a boxing match with David Haye but there would be little point in doing so. The reality is that I would get found out.

Regarding my prediction for the big fight, Klitschko obviously enters the bout as the bookies’ favourite, but the Haye camp is very smart, and David seems both mentally and physically prepared. Similar to Lennox Lewis, Haye is aware of his own strengths and will stick to them. Whilst Klitschko junior’s defence may have improved under the guidance of Emanuel Steward, I still believe that Haye could land a trademark hayemaker to the suspect chin of Wlad at some point during this one. If so, Haye could possibly retire on a spectacular note. Let’s just hope that it’ll be nearly as explosive as one of my fights.

Follow me on Twitter @TomKongWatson if you want an input on crucial matters such as the length of my hair and whether I should opt for a burrito or a chimichanga at lunchtime.

Cheers for reading and I will post again soon,

Kong

 

also follow me on Twitter @jonathanshrager