For me capturing facial responses and emotion are one of the most important things of producing a great photo. I usually stalk them waiting for them to make a face that lets me know how they’re feeling or what they’re thinking. This shot is one of my favorites because it was prior to the fight with Stipe Miocic at UFC 220. I had pictured the shot in my head long before I ever took it. I watched as Francis Ngannou walked towards the ring surrounded by a crowd of people. I waited for the right moment when the entourage parted and the cut man stepped in to put on the Vaseline. You could see that Ngannou was laser focused. He was in another dimension. He didn’t move his eyes, didn’t shift and didn’t show any emotion which in turn really portrayed the moment to me. The lights reflected off of his sweat. I underexposed the photo a stop to add to the moment. Ngannou went on to get beaten handly for five straight rounds by Cleveland’s own Stipe Miocic. Regardless of that fight result there w...