Damn, that sucks that your thread was deleted. Alot of good posts in there. I will say a few things to start this thread off.
First off, every fighter has a different type of mentality and each fighter deals with it in his own way. Some fighters like to relax, enjoy themselves, joke, and keep their mind off the fight until it happens... some like to meditate and free their minds of negative thoughts, some fighters need to get pumped up.. listen to music, and go into the fight with the mentality that this is life or death... etc.
I think that you'll discover what type of fighter you are through experience, pain, and through winning. Some fighters never come back after a tough loss and some tough it out and get better.
You need to have determination, confidence, and you need to possess the best mentality possible if you want to fight. Many times, if your head isn't in the game, you'll lose. I believe that a fight is just as mental as it is physical.
For me, just as any other person on this board that competes, you will have "little demons" in your head trying to throw you off, or mess you up. You need to be positive and fight them. You need to have confidence by training hard and competing. The more you compete, the more confidence you'll have. You don't have to win or come in first.... the experience is enough and you'll always come back stronger. I'm not saying winning isn't important. If you have a die hard winning attitude, you will strive to be the best. Look at all the top fighters.... they are where they are because of their commitment, attitude, and mentality. You need to have a strong mentality.... training every day wear you out. If you're strong enough to endure it, it will pay off.
You also need to have heart. Heart is something that only you can teach yourself to have. If you have a strong mentality, you will have heart. I think this might actually be the most important quality to have as a fighter. To be a complete fighter, you will need more than just skill.
My mentality is simple. I will be confident if I train hard. I don't like to think about the fight, until it happens. I am, however, very focused until the fight. I feel that I'm transforming into a different person. Everyone has nerves and most people are scared... you need to control your feelings if you want to control the fight. Many fighters are passionate people. This will work for you and it will also work against you. If you're angry in a fight, you will make more mistakes and you will gas easier. That being said, being passionate will also make you more aggressive, and you will have more fire in your tank. Once again, it all depends on what type of fighter you are.
Sorry, I have been on a rant.
