BJ Penn one of my favorite fighters was heard in the previews saying that "they've only got Frankie Edgar..not the knock out King or the submission King" this to me seems to indicate  a  low level of respect for the capability of his opponent.For me George St Pierre's approach of seeing the fight in front of him as his biggest fight ever and a healthy respect for the danger an opponent poses for possibly coming in in the best shape ever is an ideal mindset for a fighter preparing for a fight since it will make you train to the best of  your ability.

Any fighter who thinks they can beat an opponent just by being a big name will  always come face to face one day with an opponent that will surprise them.

So far one of the most impressive things I always hear Frankie Edgar say is .."I always want to improve from one fight to the next" this mantra to me is a one that has served him well and will continue to serve him.In watching all his fights I have noticed that the current Frankie Edgar always comes in better than the previous Frankie Edgar and this reminds my of Miyamoto Musashi's edict in his classic book "the book of five rings" to always improve on yourself. Fighters who want to get to the top should do well to follow Frankie Edgars example.With the philosophy of always seeking to improve he has already made an impact in the UFC and will continue to do so if he sticks to it.

BJ  Penn had one game plan.Move forward and box.In the 4th round he tried some take-downs but it was almost too late.

The art of Game planning lies in identifying your opponents weak points and your strengths and trying to line as many of your strengths as possible to your opponents weak point.

Frankie Edgar had a great game plan.Stick.Move. Take down. He had BJ Penn a fighter of great experience unable to find any answers.

Randy Couture against James Toney. For weeks I agonized as to how Randy was going to take Toney down without eating at least a punch. I oscillated between nervousness and assurance that Randy would take care of things. Never in my mind did I conceive of such a simple but effective game plan.Randy used his greatest strength against Toney's greatest  weakness while totally nullifying Toney's.

Another great game plan was that of Gray Maynard. Knowing Florian likes to wait and counter punch and kick he decided to make Florian chase which put Florian out of his game and gave Maynard the advantage.If things are not going your way..Adjust.