UFC’s Ian Garry, who holds a flawless 14-0 MMA record, recently shared insights into his pre-fight routine…
Which might come as a surprise to many.

In an interview with The MMA Hour, Garry described the moments leading up to his fights as a time for emotional release and reflection:

As soon as I’m finished and I’m done my warm up, I leave myself about 20 minutes to just calm the body down and let the body relax.
I put on all my gear, my headphones, my music, whatever it is, my jacket, put my hood up…

I get on all fours, I put my hands in my head. I put my forehead to the ground.
I swear to god, it’s like that, like, instant tears.

He continues:

The truth is I cry my eyes out.

I thank God for everything that I’ve been blessed with – my family, my health, my wife, my child, my team.
I ask for his strength, his guidance, his speed, his ability, and to protect me.

And, well, it was Garry’s wife who introduced him to a study on the impact of emotional expression on performance:

My wife told me about a study that was done recently.
She told me that there was a study done on Olympic athletes where people who were most emotional prior to their event and people that held it back.

The people who let go of all of those emotions, achieved or had 100% better success rate because you’re not holding on to anything.

It’s a practice that suits Garry nevertheless:

It’s like taking the the taking all the armor off me and really making me vulnerable and then going out and just being myself.

And being my truest form and doing it in the most beautiful fashion I can.