Tape Study: Perception Distortion (Patreon)

• LMA Curriculum

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Throughout the seven rounds of Gervonta Davis vs. Ryan Garcia, Davis consistently distorted Garcia's perception.

Garcia was the taller, longer fighter, but much like Alex Pereira, his favorite punch is the left hook, which requires you to be close to your opponent, which limits your vision.

Garcia's favorite weapon was in conflict with his best advantage, his length. This is similar to the situation Alex Pereira found himself in against Israel Adesanya, where his left hook was in conflict with his vision.

Davis, as the southpaw, kept his right hand in Garcia's face, often touching his lead glove, distorting Garcia's vision and sensors (perception).

With a distorted sense of perception, Garcia often swung blindly or overswung, not knowing where Davis was.

Davis, who's often the smaller man, recognizes how important perception is, which is why he distorts his opponents' perceptions while maintaining his own. Despite being smaller and more dangerous in the pocket, whenever Davis couldn't perceive Garcia, he was the one initiating the clinch.

Even before the fight-ending body shot, Davis recognized the threat of Garcia's left hook and got body-to-body to avoid the left hand but also to perceive Garcia. With his head and shoulders pressed into Garcia and with Garcia pushing down on him, Davis knew exactly where Garcia was, how he was postured, where his weight was, and where Garcia would end up.

Davis shoved Garcia with his head, raising him up and turning him, making him adjust and distorting his time-space. Davis knew where Garcia would be and where he was exposed. Garcia thought they were in close, and since Davis was pushing into him, he thought Davis was standing taller than he was when it was Garcia who was standing tall.

Garcia thought he had the time and space for his right hook when he didn't.

As an LMA practitioner, you want to maximize your perception and dictate time-space, while distorting perception and time-space for your opponent.