For Joseph Benavidez, a veteran's mentality has been key to success
In both 2012 and 2013, UFC flyweight contender Joseph Benavidez lost to current champion Demetrious Johnson. Yet, in 2014, the Team Alpha Male fighter got right back on the horse and won two straight fights in impression fashion.
Much in the same way as his team leader Urijah Faber or featherweight contender Chad Mendes have been able to, Benavidez seems to possess unique mental strength which allows him to bounce back, psychologically, after big emotional let downs and defeats. Each fight is its own learning experience, according to the fighter, and all that resulting knowledge helped the wrestler get over his last loss remarkably well.
"I think for this one, a lot of it was previous experiences," he told FOX Sports.
"It sounds funny to say this because the second time I lost to Johnson it was by knockout, my second shot, in my hometown and all of that, whereas the first time was a close decision that could have gone either way, but the the second loss was easier to get over than the first one. The first time I fought him for the flyweight belt, it was so dramatic. I put all my eggs into that one basket, emotionally. It is crazy how this sport works. My second fight with him, I was the best I'd ever felt in my whole life. The first fight with him was the worst I ever felt.
"I have never been as obsessed with a result as I was heading into that fight. It was everything to me. I hated Demetrious going in, I put so much pressure on myself. In my mind, there was no other way it could happen other than me winning. When it didn't happen, holy crap, when it didn't happen I was super depressed after that. That was so hard for me to get through. I couldn't believe that what I had counted on and had worked so hard for didn't happen."
Fixating on things he couldn't control, like the result of a fight, did all sorts of harm to Benavidez. Since then, he made a point to only care about the things he can control -- like the effort he put into training and being ready.
"I never put that type of pressure on myself again, after that. I never put such an emphasis on the result again. So, when the second loss to Johnson happened, I stayed positive. I still have confidence in my skill. I definitely hate being showed getting knocked out whenever they show his highlight, but I got caught. I know how good I am, I just got caught before I got to prove it, because I made a mistake. I know what I was capable of doing and I didn't lose that just because I didn't get to prove it."
That's how Benavidez's mind has worked since his last loss, and it's gone a long way towards the success he's had to this point. His teammates at Alpha Male, especially Faber, had a lot to do with it as well.
"All that is how I dealt with it on a personal level, but a lot of the confidence also comes from the training, and your team," he explained.
"Urijah is the General and he's the most positive, optimistic guy you could ever meet. He's been counted out so many times, and nothing ever fazes the guy. He says, 'what else can you do? Are you going to cry about it or move forward?' So, a lot of our optimism and positive confidence comes from him and his outlook. Plus, we train with each other and you get confidence when you train with such high level people."
Benavidez takes that confidence into the Octagon again this Saturday at UFC 187 against fellow former world title challenger John Moraga. Though he says that he's improved his technique a great deal, of late, his biggest improvement really is his mindset.
"Technically, you are always making improvements. We have a great coaching staff and teammates who teach us intricate techniques that we are adding to our game all the time," he said.
"But the biggest factor is emotional and mental. You hear it all the time, fighters asking how they can get more comfortable sparring, or in a fight. They want to become more relaxed, and that only comes with time and experience. I'm getting experienced. I've gotten my time in.
"I used to be the guy who was coming up, the young, new guy who everyone thought would be next. Now, I'm the veteran. Experience is huge, man. You get the timing down in the cage, you don't obsess over the fight because it's what you do. I've got a hunger to be the best but other than that it's nice not to have a fight consume your life. For some people that might work, but for me, when I'm worrying about just a result, it is not good for me. Just gaining experience and going through the ups and downs, that stuff tests you. You get tested in fights, you get tested in practice, you get tested mentally. Now, I've got that mentality of a veteran."
