Issue 151

February 2017

Bosnian-American,

UFC featherweight,

Record: 13-1-0,

Team: American Top Team.

You were born in war-torn Bosnia, escaped to Germany, then eventually made it to the US. Did that upbringing make you a fighter?

It put something in me. It made me hard, for sure. I was moved around a lot, lived in a refugee camp in Germany, and when you are exposed to stuff like that it’s far more than just a culture shock.

Having to leave my father and all that stuff, it really makes a difference. I believe it really molded me and the way that I fight. I know my history. I know my roots. Other people from my country weren’t as lucky as me.

A lot of people, family even, died. So it’s had a profound effect on me and it’s one of my main inspirations and motivators to win.

Did being a foreigner in a strange land inspire you to start martial arts?

When I was in Germany I was fighting a lot with other kids, getting in trouble a lot at school, all that stuff, because I was in a strange land. Then when I came to the States it was just like starting over again.

I was second or third grade and it was a complete culture change once more. The kids in the States didn’t dress like the kids in Germany, or act the same. The cool kids in the States looked down on us.

My mother was amazing, but obviously, I was longing for my father and that guidance and direction.

My mother was always working, thank god for her. She provided for us. But yes, all of that stuff really drove me to do what I do.

What kind of jobs was your mother working?

When we first arrived in the US she was working as a baker, walking to work in the snow in the middle of the night... She used to bring these amazing cookies home, I remember that. She worked hard – she always has. Then she worked as a carer in an old folks’ home.

What was her reaction when you told her you wanted to fight?

She was OK with it. She knows the type of person I am. I can be a little crazy and I was always into sports, so fighting for a living suits my personality. I was always fighting since I was a kid anyway, so she was used to getting the calls from school, getting visits from the police department.

I started doing karate from the fifth grade. My instructor was also my counselor at school – I had anger management issues. And then after karate, I did some boxing, football, soccer and baseball.

Did you ever do wrestling in school as well?

I tried out for the wrestling team when I was in my junior year at Lincoln South East.

I was all happy and was telling people I was going to get a scholarship for school and my mom will be so happy. But I got distracted with other things and never made varsity, which was a waste really because they thought I could do really well and excel. But my mind was elsewhere.

Is that when you turned to MMA?

No, at that stage I just wanted to lift weights.

I was a distracted kid living a distracted life. It was only when I was getting close to graduating, early senior year, right when school had started, when my brother – who was always into MMA – urged me to start training.

Then one of my friends started training, someone who I really looked up to.

That was in Lincoln, Nebraska. Me and my brother were in a sports bar watching GSP vs. Jon Fitch and I was thinking, ‘I can do this.’ I went straight from the bar to a 24 Hour Fitness and I started wrestling. After that, I spoke to my friend, Steve, and went training with him two nights a week.

I fell in love with it. I had nine amateur fights before I turned pro, but it was after my first amateur fight when I decided that I was going to be the best. And that’s been my goal since.

What are your goals?

I have a lot of goals. They keep me on course, keep me disciplined and keep me focused. When I’d get hurt and I had to stop fighting it really stung.

Because it meant I was behind on my dreams, behind on my goals.

It was tough to pick myself up. But I did.

The closer it gets to a fight the more I think about my goals too. Obviously one of them is to become UFC champion. I want to unify belts and I want to become the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

But another goal is to be able to support my mom – who has done so much for me – and allow her to retire from work.

She’s the number one in my life and being able to financially support her 100% is my number one priority.

Because you always seem to face late-replacements, has your approach to fight camps changed?

All I can do is focus on me, but I don’t just strive to be the best Mirsad Bektic, I strive to be the best mixed martial artist, period. I want to be the best at each individual aspect of the

sport, whether it’s taekwondo or wrestling or boxing. I never face the guy I’m supposed to fight anyway, so I can’t plan for a certain opponent.

I just aim to be better than in my last fight. The only focus I look at with an opponent is whether he’s a righty or not, then I base my approach on whatever he is good at and try to beat him at his own game.

But I train for everything. I do 10-11 sessions a week so we cover all the bases.

Does it upset you that all these opponents have pulled out of fights?

I don’t pay it much attention. After all, this is the UFC, so the third guy is as good as the first guy I was supposed to fight – if not tougher.

So it makes no difference as I’m very confident in my preparation, confident in the team around me and focused on myself and proving something to myself. I know the UFC will find an opponent for me, so I just turn up and fight.

Whatever happens, happens. All I can control is that I turn up, on weight, ready to fight. I do that and I win. I’m the most ferocious fighter anybody has ever seen!