What Conor McGregor's weigh-in flinch tells us about UFC 196
For as long as there have been photo opportunity face-offs between fighters, there have been those who try to get their rival to flinch by moving toward them, suddenly, as though they are about to attack. These moments are mostly theater and showmanship.
The hope, for those trying to psyche-out their opponent with a faked head butt, half-step charge or other quick movements as a promoter stands between them, seems always to be to get the man or woman across from them to bite on the threat and react to it. Implied in the bullying is that if someone flinches, they are "scared."
That, of course, makes no sense. Fighters are trained to move out of the way of quick movements sent their way.
So, I've always thought that the stoic game of remaining unmoving as an opponent charges in during weigh-ins or press conferences is silly. If you don't flinch when someone moves your way, it is either because you don't believe that the threat is real ("Hey, we're at a press conference, no one is going to let us fight"), or your reflexes aren't very good.
Friday, after weighing-in for their UFC 196 main event, Conor McGregor faced off with Nate Diaz. Then, Diaz made a move toward him, and McGregor flinched. Check it out for yourself in the video above.
Is McGregor "scared" of Diaz? Well, fighting is terrifying, even for the most enthusiastic and confident participants.
So, both men are smart enough to know that the their opponent can hurt them quite badly Saturday. If you want to call that fear, then both McGregor and Diaz likely are afraid.
What makes them fighters is moving and competing effectively in spite of that fear. So, that caveat aside, what can we tell, if anything, from McGregor's flinch?
1. His is reflexes are already sharp and ready to react to danger. That's a good sign for him.
2. After years of watching Nate and his teammates be involved in extra-curricular brawls outside of the ring, and just a day after they tried to storm the stage and get after him following his swipe at Nate at the press conference, McGregor believed it was entirely possible that Diaz would fight him right then and there.
More than likely, McGregor was correct in that belief. If nothing else, we had a good demonstration of just how primed and ready both men are ready for Saturday's big bout.
