While some fighters try to convince themselves to the contrary, the famous Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) "jitters" are all too real, and it has been proven time after time over the years.
Every fighter enters the Octagon for the first time under different circumstances. Some have fought mixed martial arts (MMA) professionally just a handful of times while others have spent years traveling the globe competing in all the major non-UFC organizations the sport offers.
It doesn't matter how many times an athlete has competed in pressure-filled situations leading up to their debut --stepping inside the UFC cage for the first time is an entirely different animal.
Former Olympic wrestler Daniel Cormier admittedly felt the jitters in his debut against Frank Mir at UFC on FOX 7, lightweight fighter Donald Cerrone is visiting a sports physiologist to deal with the nerves and emotions involved with competing in the UFC, and "Cowboy" has fought in the organization eight times.
For each man or woman who fights in the UFC for the first time, the experience is vastly different. However, the one constant always seems to be the UFC "jitters."
Watch the video above as UFC commentator Joe Rogan breaks down what the phenomenon is all about.
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