Three Things I Hope to Gain from Watching UFC

I watched UFC today. It's probably only the third time I've watched it, but it's the most interested I've been.

I tried watching it with my husband before, and while I became invested when the fight turned intense, it wasn't something that I thought I'd keep watching in the future.

Today, I changed my mind. I told my husband to let me know when there's an interesting fight and I'll join him.

Here are three reasons why:

I want to stretch my brain a different way and come up with unique insights.

MMA is new to me. I only knew about Conor McGregor about five years ago, and the first time I watched UFC was probably two years ago.

I will learn many new things from it. Things that I won't get from books (which has always been my primary source of information).

I want to create new pathways in my brain and give it more material to work with. I hope to find new connections and patterns, and from there, new ideas.

I want to become a better conversationalist.

As I've mentioned in previous articles, conversations don't come naturally to me. Especially small talk, which is still an important part of building relationships, despite its bad reputation. And sometimes, when in groups, people talk about things that I know nothing about.

What I'm trying to do now is to expand my knowledge and learn as much as I can in areas that I haven't explored enough. I want to try possible hobbies, read about the different sciences, listen to different genres of music. I'm sure there's something in every field that will get me interested.

In the UFC fights we watched earlier, I was interested in their techniques and their strategy. What are they trying to achieve? What's the game plan?

I've already learned so much, like the crucifix position, checking a kick, and avoiding a rear naked choke. Of course, I asked my husband a lot of questions. I don't think I'd have understood what was happening if he didn't explain it to me.

I'm collecting all those insights, ready to be used when social conversations go that way.

I also think that by exposing myself to these different areas, I can come up with more (and better) analogies, see things in multiple perspectives, and become more articulate and eloquent.

I want to learn self-defense.

Watching UFC today sparked an interest in Jiu-Jitsu and made me want to try boxing again. It also reminded me of Krav Maga, which I wanted to try years ago, when my husband told me about it.

I've never been physically fit and strong, and I want to change that. If I keep watching these fights, that interest will grow and will remain top of mind. And I'm hoping that that interest will overpower the fear. Because martial arts is scary for me. It's way out of my comfort zone.

But I know I need it. Everyone needs to learn how to defend themselves.

It's amazing how much I'm getting from one new activity. It's going to help me grow—in my cognitive, social, and physical capabilities.