Surprise your opponents, not yourself

There aren't many things more annoying than seeing your fighter do something you didn't want, and throw the fight away as a result - particularly in a World Title bout! For me, this usually happens because I've written a complex FP without a good structure. While I actually DO think I have a clue how to properly build a FP, that has not always been the case, and I still quite often use my old messy plans which have been edited and re-edited dozens of times... you get the picture.

So, how to avoid these kind of problems? Let's start by putting down some basic ground rules.

1. Cheating doesn't always pay - don't use global cheat lines at all if you don't need to. Add a comment in the beginning of your FP (or in the FP name) if you have a global cheat line in your plan.

2. Throwing the fight away is one thing, but throwing your fighter's career away is another - don't use big allout lines if there's no way you can win.

3. Make sure you have your cut conditionals in place. Failing to take full advantage of a sudden cut explosion suffered by your opponent can be frustrating, but it's even more frustrating to watch your guy go for cuts in the last round and lose because of that.

4. Don't rest if you have the decision locked up, if you're well ahead on endurance, or in the 12th.

5. Plan for (at least) the last round separately - that's when the fights are often won or lost. Also, this will help avoid many of the problems listed above.

Next up: how to pull this all off in one well-built plan - stay tuned!