To
over simplify fighters’ pre-fight routines as mere showmanship would be wrong. For
the men and women of the octagon, these rituals also calm the nerves while
psyching themselves up for the big fight. Still, it’s no doubt fun to watch our
favorite mixed martial artists doing a fancy dance and cart wheeling on their
way to the cage—where initial displays of fearlessness are soon tested in a
long, icy stare down.
Renowned MMA
fighters have grown a significant fan base not only because of their matchless
strength and technique, but also because of their pre-fight habits. While some
are loud and wild, others are terrifyingly quiet. Here’s a short list of
pre-fight rituals by octagon favorites that deserve special mention.
Ronda Rousey
Femme
fatale Ronda “Rowdy” Rousey takes a more subtle approach to pre-fight rituals
by engaging in complete, restful silence in the locker room. Wearing her
worn-out “battle boots” is also a must to keep the blood flowing to her toes
before a match.
Clay Guida
Clay “The
Carpenter” Guida may be known for his offensive style inside the octagon, but
all that aggression is preceded by a rather painful ritual inflicted on him by
his brother Jason: several brutal slaps to the face that’s sure to get any
opponent thinking twice.
Diego Sanchez
No one
pumps up the crowd better than “The Nightmare” Diego Sanchez chanting “YES!” as
he marches to the octagon. The iconic chant has even crossed over to World
Wrestling Entertainment through Sanchez fan and retired professional wrestler,
Daniel Bryan.
Junior dos Santos
The best
form of intimidation doesn’t have to be dramatic as proven by Junior “Cigano”
dos Santos whenever he throws a sharp finger down while glaring at the
competition—a simple yet definite warning of unpleasant things to come.
Wanderlei Silva
Who knew
a simple stretching exercise can look so terrifying? With fingers interlaced, “The
Axe Murderer”Wanderlei Silva would roll his wrists with an intensity that
matches his baleful glare.
Into the Fighter’s Mind
Behind
every show of fierceness lies a strong determination to subdue one’s own
weakness. American series Kingdom explores
the mind and lives that animate the arena by delving into a world where
professional MMA fighters struggle against dysfunctional relationships and inner
demons.
In Season
Two, ex-con Ryan Wheeler (Matt Lauria) continues to do double jumps before every
match as he strives to rise above the mistakes of his past. Fellow Navy St. Gym
Jay Kulina (Jonathan Tucker) takes the opposite gesture by rolling head-first
into the cage as he bears the burden of his mother’s murky history.
As the two
men in the episode “No Sharp Objects” match up in adecisive fight that leaves
Ryan seeing a ray of hope despite his father’s death, and Jay still reeling
from the tragic end of his girlfriend Ava, Kingdom reminds
viewers that a fighter’s strength doesn’t only depend on the body, but also on the
spirit.
Will Navy
St. Gym’s two fighters finally find peace and overcome the ghosts of their
past? Catch the premiere of Kingdom Season
Three this June 2, Friday at 10PM (9PM JKT/BKK), express from the U.S., first and
exclusive on RTL CBS Extreme.
About RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network
RTL CBS Asia Entertainment Network is a venture of
two of the world’s largest content producers: RTL Group, a global leader across
broadcast, content and digital, and CBS Studios International, the leading
supplier of programming to the international market place. The Network has two
channels: the general entertainment channel, RTL CBS Entertainment and the
male-skewed entertainment channel, RTL CBS Extreme. Both channels are widely
distributed in the Asia Pacific and are localized in five languages.
About RTL CBS Extreme
Your
destination for extreme and action-packed content with a thrilling combination
of popular series Kingdom, Hawaii
Five-0 and NCIS: Los Angeles;
adrenaline-pumping stunts on The
XtremeCollXtion and Cliptomaniacs;
non-stop laughter with Fail Army and World’s Funniest, mind-boggling illusions
on Criss Angel: BeLIEve, Dynamo:
Magician Impossible, Cosentino, and Penn and Teller; and adventure-reality series Bear Grylls: Mission Survive and Speed with Guy Martin.
Tags
ENTERTAINMENT