Issue 185

The media machine can be a fighter's greatest ally or their worst enemy. It's time to learn how to spin the press, talk the talk, and fire yourself to legendary status.

When it comes to the public relations side of mixed martial arts, one of the most crucial facets of the sport often overlooked by fighters is preparing for the dreaded press conference.

While pressers give the media and the fans the opportunity to hear first-hand pre- and post-fight accounts of how training's going, what fighters’ thoughts are on their upcoming opponents and what went right and what went wrong in a bout, fighters also have to survive the onslaught of tricky questions, MMA politics and their opponent trying to bust their balls on an international stage.

Some warriors see the press conference as a volatile battleground full of pitfalls, while others see an opportunity: a platform for lesser-known up-and-coming fighters to show their true personalities, or if they know how to spin the media machine, their expertly crafted personas.

Enter the current crop of emotional string pullers that include Chael Sonnen and Josh Koscheck, who 'get it' and embrace media junkets as they understand they are important tools for building their 'brands' as fighters, for promoting their fights and for attempting to get a psychological edge by digging deep into their opponents' psyche.

On the other end of the spectrum are guys like Nick Diaz, who dread such appearances and see them as more of a chore or a hindrance. Somewhere in between, lay the fighters who attend press events as a necessary obligation.

They give respectful and often predictable answers when asked questions and toe the line, rarely creating a 'story' or 'beef' where there really isn’t one. 

Unfortunately for some, fans and the media sometimes misconstrue honesty and confidence with cockiness. Take for example the curious case of UFC light heavyweight Jon Jones, whose personal positive thinking exercises like signing autographs leading up to his championship-winning bout against 'Shogun' Rua with “Jon Jones, Champion 2011” has inadvertently led to his vilification. Jones explained that it wasn’t meant as a sign of disrespect to Rua, who actually held the belt at the time, it was his way of convincing himself that it was going to happen. “Speaking it into existence,” he termed it, but the explanation did little to appease his detractors. Determining which approach to take in the press conference is as an important part of the game as deciding on a manager to handle your career.

So here are some essential tips to help you come out on top.

Embrace the Press Conference

Far too often fighters look at interviews and press conferences as time-wasting obligations, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes they can actually help sell a fight, which is a good thing.

As with anything in life, if you dread doing something, chances are you aren’t going to put in your best effort when it comes to actually doing it. Brian Cain, one of the leading sports psychology experts who has worked with over 100 MMA clients, including UFC welterweight champion Georges St Pierre and former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin, says that approaching things you normally don’t like doing with a positive attitude sets the tone for the rest of your activities during camp.

“I tell them to be professional athletes and part of being a professional athlete is sometimes doing things that you don’t necessarily enjoy doing, but you do because it’s part of your career.

Every job has aspects that aren’t your favorite things to do,” Cain says. “The ones who handle doing media the best are the guys who shift from the ‘I have to’ to the ‘I want to’ mentality. That turns all of the pressure into pleasure and that goes for all situations, whether it be doing seminars, media, or actually fighting.

Any time my athletes use the words ‘have to’ I know they’re going to be in trouble.”

Don’t Believe the Hype

Sometimes fighters, especially when fighting on a big stage for the first time get caught up in the hoopla of the pomp and circumstance of pressers, weigh-ins and media days. It can be overwhelming, especially when coupled with the pressure that an opponent’s mind games add. UFC welterweight standout Rory MacDonald says he feels that part of the reason he faltered in the dying seconds against Carlos Condit in their UFC 115 bout was that he put tremendous pressure on himself to perform.

“There were a lot of factors that played into the loss. I was fighting on the main card of a UFC pay-per-view in front of my hometown crowd against a guy with a ton of experience and I got caught up in the lights,” MacDonald explains. “It was definitely a learning experience and I know that I can fight my best regardless of how much pressure there is.

I don’t pay attention to anything anyone says about me and I don’t try to over-think things. There’s enough to think about when you’re in the cage and nothing else matters except the fight when you’re in there.”

Be Yourself

“Some fighters take a more personal approach when it comes to dealing with fans and the media, and by that I mean that they’re more themselves when talking with those groups because they’re more approachable and easy to deal with,” Cain says. 

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to take the stress out of press days is to be yourself when answering questions or making statements to the masses. You don’t have to worry about “staying in character” and your responses won’t seem rehearsed or robotic.

If you have a sense of humor, let it come out in your answers. But what if your sentiments are misconstrued as being brash or cocky? 

“There are always going to be haters for whatever reason. I tell my guys that if they’re true to themselves and honest with their answers, if their confidence is misunderstood as being cockiness, so be it,” Cain points out. “This sport is an individual sport at the end of the day, in spite of the team effort that goes into preparing for it. When the cage door shuts, it isn’t about the team any more. It’s about the fighter and his or her opponent. Sometimes haters just like to hate and will try to spin what you say no matter what and focusing on that negativity won’t do you any favors.”

Stick With Your Persona, Be it Hero or Heel

One of MMA’s earliest pioneers when it came to pre-fight psychological warfare was former UFC light heavyweight and Strikeforce middleweight champion Frank Shamrock. According to the much-maligned polarizing fighter who had an uncanny knack of getting inside the head of his opponents without saying or doing much, one of the biggest mistakes fighters make is flip-flopping between characters.

“Even though our sport is real, it’s very similar in a lot of ways to pro wrestling in that they are both fighting entertainment and that people love a good storyline. A lot of fighters get that and they do a really good job of it,” Shamrock says.

“I think Chael Sonnen is one of the best at it. There are some others, but they don’t see their work through to the end. They change it up halfway through and you can’t do that if you want people to believe it.

If you rewrite a script halfway through a movie, people aren’t going to buy it.”

Experiment With Style

Shamrock wasn’t always the outspoken gamesman he came to be known as. His persona came as a result of trial and error when he started to fight stateside. His “eureka moment” came while he was preparing to face a fellow future smack talker.

“I grew up in the sport fighting in Japan, where there really weren’t a lot of guys talking trash to opponents. There were a few, but none that really stood out. I think the first time I realized that what I said or did before a fight would have an affect on an opponent in the fight was when I fought Tito Ortiz at UFC 22. He was a big tough opponent and I really felt he was the future of the sport. He was having a really hard time making weight and I made it quite easily early on the day of weigh-ins, so I sat outside the sauna while he was sweating away and ate a chicken salad. He wasn’t happy. I saw how my actions were affecting him emotionally and that was it for me. That’s when it all began.”

He later proceeded to pull a thick hardcover book from his shorts as he stepped off the scale to further psyche Ortiz out. He won the bout in the fourth round in a comeback victory considered to be one of the best in the sport’s history. It goes to show if you know how to deal with the press conference and your opponent – while being able to walk the walk and talk the talk – the game is in your hands, and victory is one step closer.

PRESS CONFERENCE CAPERS

> November 20th, 2002 

UFC 40 pre-fight press conference

MGM Grand Hotel and Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada

Tito Ortiz elicited a heated reaction from upcoming opponent Ken Shamrock without saying a word at a pre-fight press conference for UFC 40. 'The World’s Most Dangerous Man' told 'The Huntington Beach Bad Boy' that he was going to “beat him into a living death,” and Ortiz immediately broke out into uncontrollable laughter, prompting Shamrock to go nuts, kicking a chair toward UFC president Dana White in the process.

> April 6th, 2007

UFC 69 weigh-ins

Root Memorial Basketball Court, Houston, Texas

All it took to get Diego Sanchez’s goat was a smirk from fellow The Ultimate Fighter cast mate and serial antagonist Josh Koscheck during the UFC 69 weigh-in staredown. 'The Nightmare' snapped and tried to push the infamous peroxide-coiffed instigator off of the dais and had to be restrained by White.

> March 12th, 2009 

Strikeforce: Shamrock vs Diaz press conference

Avalon Hollywood Nightclub Hollywood, California

Shamrock was greeted with Diaz’s now-trademark middle finger Stockton salute before either man had spoken a single word at the presser announcing their April 11th fight. 'The Legend' picked away at the scab left by Diaz’s Pride 33 suspension two years prior for a positive marijuana test, and questioned whether or not he would pass his drug test for their bout to regain his license by the California State Athletic Commission. “How is that drug test, Nick? Have you passed it?” he prodded his ill-tempered opponent. 

“Nick was a great partner,” Shamrock recalls. “He was very predictable in that I knew what kind of a response I could get out of him when I wanted to.”

> July 19th, 2011

UFC 135 pre-fight press conference

Pepsi Center Denver, Colorado

Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson broke tradition and incensed opponent Jon Jones when he turned his back on the UFC light heavyweight champ during their pre-fight staredown photo-op. An obvious sign of disrespect, Jackson smiled and gave the media the 'thumbs up' as he mugged for the camera. Ouch.

The King Of Smack

If there were a king for press conference smack talk, then Chael Sonnen would certainly take the crown. Here's a taster of some of his best verbal assaults...

"Greetings from Sao Paulo! I’m learning the language: breakdancing in the Special Olympics is called Capoiera and cocaine is called brunch."

"Machida is not a bad guy; he’s a victim of the Brazilian education system. There are better ways to get electrolytes than drinking piss."

“I’d beat up Machida on the way to the ring to beat up Anderson, and I’ll kick Nogueria’s ass in the parking lot on the way to my after party.”