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by: Alex Williams, MMATorch Contributor
Mac Danzig vs. Efrain Escudero may be in a "loser leaves town" match on Saturday night at UFC 145. Danzig, the former TUF winner, is 2-4 in his last six UFC outings and is coming off a loss to Matt Wiman. Escudero fought his way back into the UFC after previously being cut by the organization, but is 0-1 so far in his comeback, dropping a decision to Jacob Volkmann. Both men are likely to experience anxiety before they enter the cage. Certainly, some anxiety is healthy for a fight, but how can they prevent it from becoming excessive? Cognitive-behavioral therapy, a scientifically supported treatment for many mental health problems, provides us some answers.
The fighters probably have worrying thoughts about the outcome on April 21. They may be concerned with what a loss means (e.g., "If I lose, I will be fired, which means I will never get to fight in the UFC again"). The key here is not to try to suppress the thoughts (which is about as useful as trying not to think of a white bear... see?), but to generate alternative appraisals of the situation. For example, Escudero and Danzig may ask themselves if a loss really means they never get to fight in the UFC again; Escudero's own career indicates otherwise. The late Shawn Tompkins reportedly used this cognitive technique with the fighters he coached.
Behavioral simulations of the events preceding the fight itself may also help lower the combatants' anxiety levels. Experiencing a given emotion long enough that it causes less of a reaction than it used to is what clinical psychologists refer to as habituation. When a fighter walks to and enters the Octagon, the lights, noise of the crowd, and music may cause him significant anxiety. If he can habituate to these stimuli and the emotions they arouse in him, he'll be able to fight less encumbered by mental distress. Now, Danzig and Escudero don't get "practice" entrances on Saturday night, but they can simulate the experience ahead of time.
Within a gym, they can walk roughly the distance from the locker room to the Octagon, enter the cage, and go through the same routines as they will on fight night. Music can be blaring and the other members of their team can walk besides them yelling so as to approximate the noise. One of the coaches can play Bruce Buffer's role and introduce both fighters while another coach plays the referee and signals for the fight to begin. Then Esucdero or Danzig can exit the cage... and go through the same routine. While their anxiety will spike as the simulation unfolds, they should continue replaying it. Eventually, their anxieties will be at a lower level than when they started.
Georges St. Pierre's team on The Ultimate Fighter did something like this. However, at least as far as the camera showed, they did not repeat the simulation back-to-back-to-back. Furthermore, one of GSP's coaches talked to the fighter while the simulation was unfolding, telling him how well-prepared he was and how much experience the team brought with them. While a fine effort to boost the fighter's confidence, this was the wrong time to do it. Anything that causes the fighter to focus on something other than the simulation he is participating in is counter-productive to his habituating.
Cognitive-behavioral techniques are best utilized in the hands of a well-trained therapist. But even the basics of them can help Danzig and Escudero become more comfortable with the drama of fight night.
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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