If you are a fan of MMA and other contact sports, chances are you may have heard the term “Fight IQ” before. This term generally refers to a fighter’s ability to read the movements of their opponents and anticipate their next move to full effect.
Adjusting to your opponent’s style, managing stamina, and choosing the right moment to strike are all part of what makes fight IQ so important.
However, modern disciplines and strategic approaches to decision making have meant that fight IQ is no longer exclusive to combat sports and can be applied to many different scenarios.
As a matter of fact, fans of contact sports and mixed martial arts are using the philosophy behind fight IQ to increase their chances of success in their careers, interpersonal relationships, and even sports betting.
How Fight IQ Can Help in Fantasy Sports and Betting
The modern fighting fan is more sophisticated and plugged into the behind-the-scenes side of the sport than ever. Even online betting is no longer just pouring BTC into odds and hoping for the best. Fans of contact sports have become much more strategic and risk-conscious. This allows them to manage how they approach a particular bet and the considerations they make before putting their money on the line.
Fans now look at the events leading up to the fight as well, asking questions such as:
- Which of the two fighters is in better form?
- How high are the stakes for each of them emotionally?
- Who seems more mentally prepared and why?
- How do their fighting styles match?
These are all valid questions to ask and highlight how nuanced the analysis process has become for even the average fan of MMA and other fighting sports.
How Fighting Fans Leverage Statistics and Data
The modern fan is equipped with a wide variety of statistics, which they can gather from sports results apps like Sofascore, Flashscore, and others.
These apps often feature detailed breakdowns of head-to-head statistics, form based on results, and virtually anything that can be quantified and is relevant to fighting events.
This puts the modern fan/punter in a unique spot, as they can now leverage an amount of data that has never been available before.
Even the official UFC website offers fighter rankings for fans to analyze how their favorite athletes have been performing, to use this information in their betting picks at online sportsbooks.
Social Media and Online Communities
Millions of fighting fans use social media to gather and exchange information about their favorite fighters. Discussions surrounding fighter form, stamina, fighting style, and motivation are common on fighting subreddits and other forums and groups.
If a fighter is underperforming, fans speculate on the reasons behind the drop-off in form and analyze every minute detail to stay informed and avoid blindly gambling solely based on attractive odds.
Fans of every background, taste, and interest can get involved with these communities and express their opinions about the fighters they rate highly, as well as why they believe they have a higher chance of winning, which makes for lively conversations and debates on online forums.
Video Games and Fight Simulations
Licensed Video games are a great way for fighting fans to engage with each other and put their fight IQ to the test by playing the EA Sports UFC game with friends, which is the most popular game title among MMA fans.
Alternatively, some sportsbooks offer Fantasy UFC, where fans can pick their winners throughout the season based on their performance, ratings, winning methods, etc.
Fighting video games have always been popular, and the increasing relevance of the UFC has only boosted this trend. EA Sports UFC sells hundreds of thousands of copies every year, and players eagerly await new renditions of the game each year.
Newfound Appreciation for Combat Sports
By playing MMA video games and being actively involved in the betting scene, fans have developed a newfound appreciation for the sport and the dedication required to become a professional athlete.
The incredible amount of stamina and composure required from a professional fighter is unmatched, and you will often find fans in awe of the abilities of their favorite fighters.
As MMA and other fighting sports become increasingly mainstream, millions of new fans will start watching the sport and engaging with the fantasy and betting aspects of it, which makes for a diverse and highly engaged online community.