You step in the cage, tension hangs in the air;

Trust in your coaches, partners, and training,

Lacking confidence may as well be despair.

Not getting lost in the moment is draining.

Being properly trained doesn’t need a sign;

It’s not like wondering if our stars align.

A loss is like standing in an empty street;

There’s no other feeling than that of defeat.

Prompted from MMA Stortyime’s Rispetto Poetry Prompt at: https://mmastorytime.com/2020/07/29/mma-storytimes-rispetto-poetry-prompt-challenge-9/.

Prompted from August Writing Prompts at: https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2020/08/01/august-writing-prompts-3/.

Prompted from the Sunday Photo Prompt at: https://sundayphotofiction.com/2020/07/26/sunday-photo-fiction-july-26-2020/.