If it was a ploy of his then he would aim to provoke her into trying to prove herself and to anger her.
If she was emotional then she would be far less rational in the fight while she would be making far more rash actions that could be taken advantage of.
The fight had already begun the moment that they had met up in the ring.
It could be possible that the fight had already begun the moment that the opponents were arranged to face each other.
The mental battle before the fight began was just as important.
It was a way to psyche out the opponent or to do many other things that could affect the opponent's emotions in various ways.
Even the smallest gesture toward the opponent could affect how they would approach the fight next.
Some would be more cautious of an opponent who put on a tough and violent display or used harsh and threatening words.
