Don't Close Your Eyes
There's an overused cliché in fight promotion: "Don't blink." It means a knockout could happen so fast that you'll miss it if you blink. There's truth in this statement insofar as if you close your eyes, you can't see. However, this lack of perception is more consequential for fighters than viewers.
In the early prelims of UFC 290, Jesús Santos Aguilar defeated Shannon Ross by knockout in seventeen seconds.
Whether beginner, amateur, or even pro, there's a tendency for some people to close their eyes during punching exchanges, and that's exactly what Ross did.
You can still get hit even when you see the punches coming. However, seeing it beforehand allows you to brace for it. By not seeing the punch, Ross was completely unprepared, which is why it was so devastating.
Perception is how you find your shots; lack of perception is why you won't see those shots coming.
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