Abstract - The effect of absent audiences on Mixed Martial Arts performance during COVID-19
Background. This paper investigates the effect of the presence of spectators on performance in a previously unexplored mixed martial arts environment. In this sport, athletes have considerable motivation to finish a fight before the time limit. These incentives are financial but are also demanded directly by the fans and give the fighter the certainty of victory.
Problem and aim. Audiences can influence athletes’ performance, by serving as a motivator or a stressor. This paper aims to investigate the impact of the presence of spectators on the ability of fighters to deliver a finish before the time limit.
Material and methods. The data used is from the Ultimate Fighting Championship between 2019 and 2020. The first year was before COVID-19 with audiences and the second was during COVID-19 without any. Models were built to reveal the effect of spectators on the frequency of finishes before the time limit.
Results. TThe results show a negative effect of the presence of the audience on finishing before the time limit. However, for women, the findings are not as conclusive.
Conclusions. The paper also discusses interventions that can lead to the elimination of the negative effect of spectators on performance.