I’ve been training for many years to move my body in order to deflect much of the power of my opponent’s landing punches. If I were in a street fight, I’d know how to move so that punches likely wouldn’t land at all on me.

    When I fought Matt Hamill, he did a good job of confusing me at first. He’d switch to a southpaw position and I’d start wondering if someone spiked my water in the locker room. I never had seen Matt doing this in his fight footage, and so I was not mentally programmed. While I was trying to figure all this out, he worked some blasts in.

    Some fighters are able to switch back and forth in their stances. One moment they’re leading with their right, and next they’re coming at you with their left. Anderson Silva is switching constantly - he’s mastered the art.
    
    I had studied many tapes of Silva’s fights in my preparation for him. I figured that whichever stance he assumed, I’d be able to read his patterns. Most fighters offer unintentional signals to alert you to their next maneuver.
 
    Silva’s alternating stances, however, ultimately confused me. I felt almost as though I were in the octagon with two different fighters. That’s a place you don’t want to be.