Athletes
Pat Sabatini | In The Moment
Featherweight Grappler Talks Shift In Mindset Ahead Of Critical Clash With Joanderson Brito
For the first seven fights of his UFC career, Pat Sabatini didn’t particularly enjoy fight week. Or the walk to the Octagon. Or being introduced seconds before he was set to compete.
The entire experience, including the fight itself, was an obstacle course he had to navigate in his mind before actually stepping into the fray, and while he was largely successful, stoppages losses to Damon Jackson and Diego Lopes on either side of a win over Lucas Almeida prompted the Marquez MMA representative to start thinking about ways to address the mental struggles that were impacting his performance.
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“I wouldn’t say I was skeptical, but I was kind of like, ‘What am I gonna learn here?’” Sabatini said in regards to his initial apprehension about working with a sports psychologist, just a few days ahead of making his return to action against Joanderson Brito in the co-main event of this weekend’s fight card at the UFC APEX.
Like many athletes — and myriad people, in general — he wasn’t sold on the idea that speaking with someone was going to help him figure things out. But rather than let his uncertainty win out, he opted to give it a try, connecting with Micah Schnurstein from the Sports Psychology Team at UFC Performance Institute.
“I tell you what: after the first session, I felt a difference in the way I was thinking, the way I processing things, and here I am over a year later,” he said with a smile. “It’s created a new lens to look at life through, both in and out of the cage, and I’m forever grateful for it.
“Every time I’ve stepped on a mat to compete, every time I’ve stepped in the cage, every time I step on the mat to spar, it’s just a way more present, enjoyable experience where I have a better, more efficient way of letting my skill set shine through.”
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That was very much the case last October against Jonathan Pearce.
Competing for the first time in nearly a year, Sabatini was dialled in from the jump, turning Pearce’s initial takedown attempt into an opportunity to climb on his back just 15 seconds into the contest. While Pearce was able to shake him off his back, he was never really able to disengage from the standout grappler, with Sabatini staying sticky, taking him down, and patiently working to the mount, taking the back as the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) grad looked to escape.
As Pearce rose to his feet, Sabatini once again became a featherweight backpack, fishing his arm under the chin and locking up a deep rear-naked choke to secure the finish.
“With this last one, I was super-present, I didn’t get too far ahead,” he said of the bout with Pearce, his third finish and fifth win over a competitor that had appeared on the annual Tuesday night talent search series. “I was always where my feet were, and I just went out there and did what I know how to do.
“And that’s what I plan on doing on Saturday.”
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In the Octagon following his finish of Pearce, Sabatini told Michael Bisping that he’d like to return to action “sooner rather than later,” but that didn’t come to pass, as the right opportunity and a chance to step back into the cage didn’t present itself until this weekend’s pairing with Brito came across his table.
Fortunately for the 34-year-old, he has other outlets that allow him to stay sharp and continue putting the work he’s been doing with Schnurstein into practice.
“I love it,” he said of the Fury Pro Grappling series, where he’s competed five times in the last couple years, posting a 5-0 record with wins over Alex Caceres, Niko Price, Andrew Kochel, Herbert Burns, and Peter Fazekas. “I love to grapple, I love to compete, and it gives me something to work towards between fights because sometimes you have these gaps between fights that happen.
“It’s good to get out there, get under the lights, perform for people, and stay active. What’s the saying? ‘If you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready,’ so it leads into fight camps really well. It’s more opportunity to practice, get better at it, and I feel like it’s a skill set that is vital and gets better with experience.”
In addition to helping Sabatini restructure how he looks at fight week and ensure he’s rooted in the present, the last year has also brought about a shift in mindset for the former CFFC titleholder, who carries a 19-5 overall record into this weekend’s clash wth Brito.
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“I’m kind of approaching every opponent in a similar way,” began Sabatini, explaining another major change that he’s implemented in the past year. “In the past, I would look at certain opponents and think, ‘This guy is kind of a bad matchup for me,’ but that mindset has shifted to being ‘I’m the bad matchup for them; I’m the one that’s the threat here!’
“It has changed the whole experience,” he said when asked about the impact of that seismic change in perspective. “I am more motivated than ever to show the world what I can bring to the table, my skill set, and it has made this journey more meaningful to me.
“I think sometimes we have to go to those places where we come up short, where we fail, and we’re faced with adversity because that’s what’s gonna bring out the best in us and make these mental shifts,” he added. “To master the mind is the real battle.”
Though it’s a battle that is never truly over, it’s one that Sabatini now feels like he’s winning, which in turn will help him to continue posting victories inside the Octagon.
And not that he needed any additional motivation, but he got some nonetheless, courtesy of teammate and team leader Sean Brady a couple weeks ago in London.
“He just showed the world what we already knew,” Sabatini said of Brady’s dominant submission win over former champ Leon Edwards. “He’s really paving the way for our team, and I think it’s just a matter of time before that belt is around his waist.
“And it definitely gave me more inspiration to go out there, believe in myself, and do it,” he added. “I’m looking to build momentum. I’m looking to climb one step at a time. I know I can do it, and now there is nothing left to do but to do it.”
UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs Murphy took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 5, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!