Hi again guys and girls.

I was thinking about what other things people do in the ring in mma. one thing i notice is that before the fight the fighters always stare at each other with a threating cold look about them and get right up in to their face.

(i saw a funny video where they did this then because he was so close the victim gave the guy a kiss on the lips! haha is was funny, look for it on the Internet)

Is this a good way of slightly intimidating your opponent? Showing them a false sense of confidence? or what? Maybe it is just to make the audience get all worked up! Would it motivate you to fight harder, or better?

I would like to hear stories about memories and such.
And any theories.

thanks
David

You should take a look at how some of the boxing greats have done it in the past...

When Muhammed Ali was preparing to fight Sonny Liston (Muhammed was a kid of 22, compared to Liston who was around 40) managed to convince Sonny he was crazy. You see Liston was a thug the guy had been jailed years previous and was not afraid of anyone - but he was afraid of things he didnt understand.

Later, when Ali fought Foreman, Ali had to walk past foremans training area everyday and he never once looked at what he was doing, rather kept on walking.

haha im not sure that answers your question but ive had that trivia since I read Alis biography.

Well many years ago back in college days I and a friend went to a tournament. During that tournament I did my warmups wearing a straight jacket. I remember working on many of my kicking combos on the teardrop targer. When my partner gave a signal that there were many watching, I followed the kick with my attacking the target by bitting it.

My partner took of the jacket just before my first match, and I just had my eyes bugged out, all crazy looking, Boy the match was funny, no one really wanted to chance that I wasn't crazy. They always backed off affter my first combination move, not wanting to be bitten I guess )

I the episode where the guy kissed the other am I right but I seem to remember the kissee retaliated by knocking the guy out pre-fight and getting booed for it. top entertainment but bizzare behaviour for athletes at that level

I believe its a fairly common practice for Boxers/Cage fighting and previously Gladiators in Roman periods. If you put doubt into the mind of your opponent that they are going to loose then they probably will through desperation or lack of concentration. You should never enter a fight thinking you will loose.

It's very similar to making someone you are fighting really angry as it affects their control and they make mistakes

A STRAIGHT JACKET!?!?!?!?

lol that really is intimidation!

Yes it was soooooo funny. God I wish I had video of it.