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The mental game of Frankie Edgar

Every athlete seeks the best performance ever. When we talk about optimal performance we usually refer to spectacular moves and out of the ordinary stuff that is only seen in movies.

Such performances appear to be a gift for few. Most athletes think they are far from this stage and some might think that it is unreachable.

These ideas about optimal performance are far away from the actual experience. Neuroscience tells us that optimal performance can be reached and demonstrates what happens in our brains in it occurs.

It is said that when athletes are in flow (a stage of optimal performance) they have a decrease of conscious activity in the brain. They actually perform in a more automatic manner. So, when in optimal performance the athlete thinks less and lets his training take over. It’s more of a intuitive thing.

We wont bore you with all the science behind it. We just mentioned it because I think we see this stage more often than we think. Frankie Edgar, for instance, shows these characteristics when he fights. That’s why I think he is a great fighter.

Let’s see, when he fought Grey Maynard for the second time he got knockdown a few times in the first round. Most fighters would start a mental conversation that would bring their game down and probably make sure they lost the fight in the very next round.

This is not what happened with Frankie. He actually came out stronger in the second, like nothing ever happened in the first. The fight was really tough, considering that Frankie Edgar was considerably small for that weight-class. In the third bout we saw a replay of the first round and once again Frankie Edgar came back strong.

He had already fought that type of fight and the confidence in his training keep him focused. We also saw the same mental game against Jose Aldo. Even though he lost the fight, it seemed that he got stronger after each round.

We usually watch Edgar’s fights with this perspective in mind. He might not be the best fighter in the world. Some may think he will never get the belt again. It does’t matter. Regardless of his opponent: Ben Henderson, Jose Aldo or Cub Swanson, Edgar shows an awesome mental game.

He keeps going at it! It seems that his mind is set and his training takes over. That’s why he is able to not only overcome obstacles during the fight but also apply the game plan. He may not be the champion, but he certainly has the mind of one.