Let the war of words begin!

It’s perhaps the biggest part of combats sports, make no mistake. If your mental game is weak then there’s no doubt that your fight game will be less than impressive as well. The feeling of getting into the ring or cage, absorbing the energy from the crowd, feeling that pressure, the weight of the task at hand all on your shoulders. It takes a lot of sand to face another person in combat and in order to do that you need to be mentally focused for the task at hand. On the heels of the UFC 197 press conference where Conor McGregor dominated Rafael dos Anjos in the mental warfare, it has to be said that the brash Irishman is already winning the battle of champions. Having extreme confidence can be a fighter’s best weapon and it can allow even the most mundane of competitors to rise to the occasion. Having a great deal of skill and will can take you to the summit. It’s the confidence and mental fortitude that will have you ascending the mountain. For all of you who missed the UFC 197 press conference you can watch in the video below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3AQ7dlmZIFU If I were a betting man, which I should be at this point, I’d say that Rafael dos Anjos is in a pretty bad spot going into this match up. Despite all the tools at his disposal, despite the fact that he has crushed some of the most talented opponents the UFC’s 155 pound division has to offer, he’s allowing McGregor to get the better of him in the trash talk. No matter how much a fighter may not want to admit it, if you allow your opponent to run their mouth unchecked the chances of them getting under your skin is very likely. Before what was to be my last bout, my opponent was able to anger me with his disrespectful attitude. Though I tend to perform better when my emotions are running high, it was a valuable lesson that illustrated the fact that your opponent can get the upper hand mentally if you allow it. The match never took place, but that’s a story for another time. The bottom line is that the mental game is something that can impact the outcome of a fight and truly set the tone for proceedings. If Rafael dos Anjos wants to enter the fray with Conor McGregor with the upper hand he’ll have to maintain his cool and calculating demeanor and prepare himself throughly for the Irish champion’s verbal onslaught. If he gives into his emotions then we could end up seeing another quick fight with McGregor getting his hand raised. Do you think Rafael dos Anjos will let Conor McGregor’s trash talk get to him? Let us know in the comments and forums. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor and geek culture enthusiast. Follow him on Twitter and keep up with his latest exploits.