Fighters’ Pre-Fight Rituals to Get into the Flow State

It can take a lot of effort to get yourself amped up before a fight to give it your all, and professional fighters, be it in boxing, Muay Thai, WWE, or MMA, have their own unique ways of getting fired up pre-fight. Some have a calm, mindful approach, while others go all out in the oddest way. 

Lucky Items and Symbols in Martial Arts

Let’s start with a mindful ritual that’s prevalent in Muay Thai: the Pra Jiad. Many Muay Thai fighters wear bands around their arms, the so-called ‘Pra Jiad’, which are deeply rooted in the sport’s history. They symbolise tradition, protection, and courage and represent respect for the sport and personal connection. Fighters such as Rodtang Jitmuangnon are known to use cloth from family members, giving them a personal meaning of having their families’ support in the ring.

Besides the Pra Jiad, symbols and items representing luck are common for athletes of all backgrounds. Using lucky symbols is something fans can identify with, as there are many symbols universally understood as lucky. In modern culture, symbols such as the four-leaf clover, rainbows, leprechauns, ladybirds and horseshoes emit a sense of luck.

They’re very common in games. For instance, if you explore 12 Pots of Gold Drums Frenzy slot, you’ll find it uses rainbows and four-leaf clovers to create a sense of positivity while playing. Many other games, as well as movies, TV shows, and even cereal brands, regularly use these types of symbols, making them universally recognisable.

Many athletes use lucky symbols or items in the ring. However, what these are varies tremendously. In boxing, the ring belt holds a distinct meaning in athletes’ rituals. John L. Sullivan, for instance, is known to have always worn green trunks. In his sash, he always placed a stone which was supposed to bring him luck during fights.

Jake “The Raging Bull” Lamotta, on the other hand, always wore his leopard-print robe when entering the ring – likely to get him into his animal-like spirit ahead of a fight. Conor McGregor also has his lucky item, although this one has more sentimental value: he admitted he always brings a hat that belonged to his grandfather to his fights.

Athletes’ Unique Rituals and Quirks

Every athlete has their own rituals, and some may stand out as particularly unique. One such example is former mixed martial artist Chuck Liddell, who is said to have painted his nails in the lead-up to a big fight. Allegedly, many fighters do this as it appears to have been a tradition that has been passed down and turned into a common ritual among fighters.

Tommy “The Hitman” Hearns also had a pre-fight beauty ritual. The former professional boxer used to always get his hair cut before a fight. However, this ritual didn’t seem to always have a positive effect. After several losses, his trainer Emanuel Steward reportedly paid the barber for him to not cut Hearns’ hair. The following fight ended in a draw, so in the end, keeping his hair seems to have been the better choice.

A ritual fans particularly loved is mixed martial artist Diego Sanchez’s legendary “Yes!” chant. Sanchez would always walk to the Octagon chanting “Yes!”, getting himself and the crowd amped up for the fight ahead while intimidating his opponent. This ritual later also influenced WWE star Bryan Danielson, aka Daniel Bryan, who was famous for his chant at WWE. That ritual even went so far as to somewhat become the WWE’s intellectual property. To respect this, Bryan Danielson no longer uses his “Yes!” chant ever since switching to AWE back in 2021, that’s how significant this ritual was in the WWE.

Rituals are an integral part of professional sports. Each of these little rituals, items, and symbols gives athletes a small, yet oftentimes significant, confidence boost, enabling them to get into the flow state, to focus better, and to push a little harder to achieve their best results.