That’s the physical part, and the 31-year-old Lithuania native has got that locked down. But despite winning five of six fights in his second UFC stint, including three in a row, what will take him to the next level in his career is the mental game, something he spends as much time on outside the gym as he does left hooks and heel hooks inside it. So when he’s scrolling through social media at night, it’s not a method of relaxation; he’s working on his craft.
“I’ve noticed a lot of the times a load of motivating things and a lot of motivating quotes that all revolve around the same thing, how a lot of people have failed a lot of times, but they’re the ones that are the most successful,” he said. “They’re the ones that have had the highest highs and the lowest lows, but they still end up being on top because they’ve learned from the mistakes, they’ve learned from their errors, and you have to make mistakes in order to be the greatest. It’s a common theme amongst all the things that I’ve been watching and it just really rings true.”
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“Even with all the stuff that he had to go through to get to where he is and become the MVP, I realized this is part and parcel of being the greatest. So you have to go through these things and it’s the ones who show resilience from these situations that are able to go on and do great things because they’re the ones who learn from their mistakes and ultimately use it to propel them forward as opposed to bring them down. So it’s just been a common theme and I’m very grateful for that. And like I say, I truly feel like I’m coming into my own and I’m coming into the proper prime. I felt like I was probably still a little baby when I was 27, and now I’m just becoming more mature and becoming more of a man in every aspect of my life and I feel like it can only expand even more. So I’m looking forward to this journey.”
