# The Art of the Staredown



## MMA_Central (Mar 26, 2007)

The most underestimated and overlooked aspect of fighting takes place before the fight even begins. It is the STAREDOWN! You can win or lose a fight before you have even step into a ring/cage. And everyone seems to have their own style and strategies when it comes to staredowns.

Two men have shown us that you don't even have to be fighting to be frightened from a staredown. Just watching at home can become a fright when these two men are fighting and when they have fought each other the resultant staredowns were nothing shy of TERRIFYING!









Over the past couple of years one man has served as the best example of exactly what a good staredown can do. He has probably produced one of the greatest staredowns in MMA history, alongside a man who has had his fair share of memorial staredowns himself. These men showed us fighting isn't the only thing you can win during a MMA fight. Ladies and Gentleman I give you James Thompson and Don Frye:









A personal favourite of mine is the "cold-hearted death stare", as I like to refer to it as. This strategy gives your opponent the impression you are mentally unstable, thus sending cold shivers down their spine. WARNING: If both you and your opponent employ this technique it just may result in both of you actually become mentally unstable and fighting like Neanderthals.









You can act like a douche and even get physical in the staredown, as our good friend Diego Sanchez illustrates below. He also illustrated this strategy can come back and embarrass you.









Sometimes you don't even have to be fighting to employ a great staredown. As Chuck Liddell and Dan Henderson showed us, testosterone and pride can result into a great staredown anywhere and anytime.









Finally one man showed us that before going into battle it might be a bad idea to look for some love.









These are but a small sample of the art of the staredown. I invite you all to share your favourite staredown moments and even tell us stories about some staredowns you have been involved in.


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## DAMURDOC (May 27, 2007)

Fedor stare down literally


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## Bscoop09 (Oct 15, 2006)

Great Thread....Me personally I've always thought that Wanderlei's stare down was always impressive and in a close second Cro Cop


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## KnockinUout (Jun 21, 2007)

Its good to put fear into the other person but honestly there are two pictures up there that looks like theres some kissing involved. That can make you lose a fight, trying to stare down your opponent to hard and you end up giving him some lip.


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## Lotus (Jul 4, 2007)

wasnt that the fight were he knocked the guy out after the other guy kissed him? and he lost or was decided a no contest?


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## CopperShark (May 13, 2006)

The last one was when Heath Herring knocked out that other guy after he kissed him.. And I thought Rampage's staredown on Chuck last fight was sweet.


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## taiwnezboi (Apr 8, 2007)

Where is that Hendo/Chuck staredown from? What happened there?


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## Knock out (Jan 1, 2007)

This is a great topic Thompson is great in his staredowns


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## mma_rulez (Jun 6, 2007)

taiwnezboi said:


> Where is that Hendo/Chuck staredown from? What happened there?



i just think its a bad pic its also on Hendo webpage... 

cause Dan Henderson would Beat tha shit out of Chuck Liddell yea thats right... but that pic does kinda piss me off looks like hes scared of somethin


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## A-5best (Dec 18, 2006)

Id say in terms of Staredown:
1) Wanderlei Silva
2) Cro Cop
3) Don Frye, did anyone else see that he actually cut himself open when staring down with James Thompson? There is a small cut on his forehead after the staredown.


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## jehu pitchfork (Feb 4, 2007)

DAMURDOC said:


> Fedor stare down literally


really?!? him AND his bro alex both have a very calm if detached demeanor to their staredowns. which is why i love both of their staredown techniques.

james thompson's whole ring persona is absolutely over acted & just plain ridculous. especially his first pride fight against Alexander E. it was hilarious how Alexander completely obliterated him in under 15 seconds. looks like someone got too cocky.


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## wafb (May 8, 2007)

I like Crocops staredown. There's nothing like that I've survived getting shot at and shelled so you don't scare me look.


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## e-thug (Jan 18, 2007)

Wanderlei has the best, Im scared and he isnt lookin at me.

Where is Rampage Vs Eastman?!? that deserves a shout!

Honorable Mentions:
Fedor
Cro Cop
Don Frye
Tito Ortiz


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## keno5366 (Mar 16, 2007)

My favorite is between Wanderle and Rampage, both fights . Or between Matt hughes and Frank Trigg, second fight.


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## Lotus (Jul 4, 2007)

i've always found that in the intimidation area the agressive angry look doesn't get to me, it's the cool calm looks that are more intimidating than anything


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## southpaw447 (Mar 21, 2007)

Wandy takes the staredown without a doubt, Cro Cop is a close second and Fedors doesn't really look intimidating aside from his skills he usually just stands therecalm at his opponent afterwards going back to his corners smacking himself in the face


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## foxman69 (Sep 6, 2006)

the shamorck frye staredown was also goood


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## Negative1 (Feb 4, 2007)

Shamrock and Frye still gives me shivers.

Jacksons staredown at Chuck in May was menacing, having his mouthguard partially showing.

Mirko just looks like he wants to eat your black heart and be done with it, too bad the Gonzaga fight had to end the way it did, he was such a badass in the staredown.


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## raul21 (Dec 31, 2006)

anyone here have seen the staredown were one figther actually kiss back to the one who kissed him...:confused02: :confused02:


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## MMA_Central (Mar 26, 2007)

raul21 said:


> anyone here have seen the staredown were one figther actually kiss back to the one who kissed him...:confused02: :confused02:


Yes I vaguely remember seeing that once, it was a rather awkward moment. Just goes to show that anything can happen during a staredown. It really is an art.


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## Blexxemen (Jan 5, 2007)

raul21 said:


> anyone here have seen the staredown were one figther actually kiss back to the one who kissed him...:confused02: :confused02:


That was Heath Herring link here


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## dutch sauce (Sep 24, 2006)

wandy's then cc, then fedor


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## MMA_Central (Mar 26, 2007)

Blexxemen said:


> That was Heath Herring link here


No I think he is talking about another "kissing" incident. I'm not 100% sure if it was MMA, it may have been boxing. It basically involved one fighter kissing the other lightly and the other returned the favor with a kiss of his own. Almost romantic, in a disturbing sort of way.


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## Blexxemen (Jan 5, 2007)

MMA_Central said:


> No I think he is talking about another "kissing" incident. I'm not 100% sure if it was MMA, it may have been boxing. It basically involved one fighter kissing the other lightly and the other returned the favor with a kiss of his own. Almost romantic, in a disturbing sort of way.


I think this is the one you are talking about *LINK HERE*


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## capt_america (Apr 16, 2007)

is wandy staring at crocop considered staredown??:confused02: 
literally i call it stare-up bcoz he is looking upwards since mirko is taller than him..

nice thread tho..:thumb02:


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## leew11k (Nov 19, 2006)

rampage vs eastman was awsome


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## raul21 (Dec 31, 2006)

thanks Blexxemen for the link.:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:


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## Natural Ice (Jul 23, 2007)

keno5366 said:


> My favorite is between Wanderle and Rampage, both fights . Or between Matt hughes and Frank Trigg, second fight.


Yeah, Hughes/Trigg 2 was pretty intense. The kiss and shove made it better. Silva easily takes the most intimidating staredown, can't wait for the Liddell/Silva staredown (not the "we might be fighting sometime this year staredown" the "we're fighting right now staredown" that will take place sometime in the next 5 years.


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## The Fetus (Jul 3, 2007)

Babalus staredowns are the most intense that I've seen in all of MMA. He looks like he just walked out of hell. Kind of how Satan might look if he took on a human body.


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## PrideFan123 (Apr 8, 2007)

I like Fedor's no-emotion staredown. Wandy's is pretty intense though.


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## LivingDedMan (May 10, 2007)

I don't know how much the stare down is going to be a factor at the top level of fighting. These guys are all confident in their abilities and I don't think they are going to be frightened from somebody staring at them.

With that said, the stare down is certainly entertaining sometimes. That one you have pictured there of Frye and the other guy going head to head was great.


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## Natural Ice (Jul 23, 2007)

LivingDedMan said:


> I don't know how much the stare down is going to be a factor at the top level of fighting. These guys are all confident in their abilities and I don't think they are going to be frightened from somebody staring at them.
> 
> With that said, the stare down is certainly entertaining sometimes. That one you have pictured there of Frye and the other guy going head to head was great.


I think it can be telling sometimes. Biggest example is obviously GSP/Hughes 1 where GSP couldn't even look at Hughes and Hughes went on to win. Just showed that GSP might have been a little shook from being in the octagon and fighting Hughes. Also I remember Silva saying Leben didn't look respectful in the staredown so he went on to pick him apart.

I know I'm not the only one when I look at the fighters during the staredown and I say to myself "he looks like he's ready to punch him the hell out" or "he looks scared being in this environment". 

I do get what you're saying though about a guy staring at you (no matter how intense) shouldn't really affect the top level fighters but who knows what goes through the fighters minds during entrances/staredowns.


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## 100%NATURAL (Aug 1, 2007)

jehu pitchfork said:


> really?!? him AND his bro alex both have a very calm if detached demeanor to their staredowns. which is why i love both of their staredown techniques.
> 
> james thompson's whole ring persona is absolutely over acted & just plain ridculous. especially his first pride fight against Alexander E. it was hilarious how Alexander completely obliterated him in under 15 seconds. looks like someone got too cocky.



Exactly what I was thinking about. Half the time you would think Alexander was getting ready to go to sleep. This is the approach I've always liked to take. NOTHING psyches someone else out more than being consistant like a machine. First the casual stare. A few solid punches on them, a few absorbed by you even, no change in your face or eyes, they start to question their bad ass, jail house mentality, "death stare". It's a competition, have heart, be strong, you don't need to intimidate because that can backfire the second things don't go your way. No need to bark, it's the bite that matters.


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