It’s not a question the soon-to-be 29-year-old troubles himself with anymore.
“The biggest takeaways are to not expect so much from myself and not to expect perfection,” he said, reflecting on an eventful three-year run that included the first two losses of his professional career, a handful of injuries, a move to Montreal, and change in approach that now has him appreciating the moments, good and bad, rather than fixating on the goals that defined the first nine years of his career in the cage.
“More than anything, it’s to let go of the expectations I have of myself to fight like a championship fighter would fight and just appreciate my capabilities of being able to perform as a professional athlete. It’s just changing the mindset from expectation to appreciation; that’s been the biggest takeaway.
“In the beginning of my career, I was ‘The Next Big Thing” and I’ve been in the Top 15 since 2014,” continued Bektic, who fell out of the rankings in the ultra-competitive 145-pound weight class for the first time in a number of years ahead of Saturday showdown with Ige. “I’m a very ritualistic, routine guy, so if I have a good practice one day, I want to carry that forward every day, and that’s not sustainable. Now it’s more about listening to my body and finding the joy and enjoyment in everything.
“I’m doing my best every day, whatever that means,” he added. “Sometimes that’s going all out in practice, but other times, maybe it’s taking a day off and doing yoga. Whatever it is, I’m doing my best every day. Once you step in there, you can’t control anything, so it’s about being okay with what happens.”
Though the bout with Emmett last summer in Sacramento didn’t end with Bektic getting his hand raised, the result wasn’t a surprise for the hard-nosed competitor.