Fight Magazine has done a great job asking a variety of fighters what they think is the most important skill set in MMA and in this video they ask UFC dual division contender Chael Sonnen to illuminate us on this topic. He replies:
Mindset has got to be up there. But there's some mentally tough guys that don't have discipline. I've been mentally strong at times and loved going to practice but I've also been distracted before, but I still go to practice. I personally am very disciplined. Whether I want to be at practice or not I show up every day. Whether I'm healthy or I'm sick or hurt or tired, I show up every day. I never ever miss. And I think discipline's a big deal. When I read about the top guys, Randy Couture was a big discipline guy; he always showed up whether he felt like it or not. Georges St-Pierre always goes to practice and you'll hear stories like that; if Georges goes on vacation, he brings a training partner with him. If he goes on a media tour, he brings a training partner. And those are disciplinary actions more than anything. And discipline's also a sign of mental toughness, so somewhere in between those two for anything in life will bring you the most success.
