Evan Elder Trades Hustle Culture For Greater Focus

“So it’s just being relentlessly focused,” he added. “I think it’s Leonardo Da Vinci that has a quote that is something like, ‘Success lies in the relentless execution of the basics’ or something like that, and I feel like it’s so true.”

Along with shifting his focus from getting as much work as possible to drilling down on specifics, Elder also made the decision to relocate to Las Vegas last year, recognizing that a change in scenery and the ability to be the captain of his own ship were additional keys to putting himself in a position to make the most of the opportunities before him.

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It’s not that anything specific happened or was going wrong, but more that the nature and structure of training with a large team and operating on a gym schedule mixed with his “more, more, more” mindset often left him making choices and decisions that didn’t benefit him in the long run.

“I needed a change, and the biggest thing was my body,” began Elder, explaining the reasoning behind moving to the magnetic center of the fight world. “I was talking earlier about living in that ‘hustle culture’ for so long that I just always thought more was better. I lived and died by this hard work mentality of being the hardest working in the room at all times, and a lot of time after training, I’d be going and trying to lift weights or do sprints on the treadmill because I thought hard work was going to be making me better.

“Legitimately, as stupid as this may be, there have been plenty of days where I’ve had a couple of good, hard days in a row and felt beat up, and I was like, ‘Today’s a yoga day. I’m gonna watch tape, I’m gonna study.’ On days when I’m not training, I have plenty of stuff to do. I can go back and watch every single thing that I’ve been doing, see where I’m messing stuff up, see what I need to be improving.”

He again smiled and shook his head, understanding there is nothing stupid about listening to his body and that studying film and reviewing the copious amounts of notes he takes from each session are just as integral to his success — if not more so — than pushing himself physically at all times.

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“Now I know that when I feel like ‘I need to take today off; I need to do some yoga or some stretching or some breath work or all of the above,’ I’ll go into training the next day with a well thought out plan of what I need to do in order to get better.”

The fruits of those efforts have already started to be seen, as Elder turned a short-notice opportunity of his own last July in Denver into his first stoppage win under the UFC banner, submitting Darrius Flowers for his second consecutive victory.

While the time on the sidelines since then has been frustrating at times, it has also given the 28-year-old the opportunity to continue reshaping the way he thinks about his craft and get himself to a point where he is now ready to thrive on the biggest stage in the sport.

“It is pretty tough,” Elder said of the extended breaks between fights, having spent a year on the sidelines prior to his win over Flowers before navigating the nine-month hiatus that comes to an end on Saturday. “My last fight was short-notice — like four-days’ notice — and it was a year break before that, so I didn’t have much preparation time for the fight itself.

“I try to live my life in a fight camp as much as I possibly can, but I think the difficult part is that you almost forget what it’s all like. There are so many steps in the preparation, and it’s like, ‘I haven’t gotten these reps very often.’ I’m only getting one rep a year, and it’s hard to work like that, but, at the same time, I’m not really worried about it at all. I think God’s got his hands all over it. I think God was saving my opportunity for this time, but it’s also given me so much more time to improve, which I think is needed.

“I feel like I came into the UFC faster than I should have,” said Elder, who debuted on short notice, up a division against Preston Parsons in the summer of 2022. "We’re all just chomping at the bit to get (to the UFC), and I got here when I was 7-0, and I hadn’t fought a ton of really good competition.

“I could have stayed outside of the UFC for several more fights, gotten some more experience instead of jumping right in here in the deep end.”

That assessment isn’t one that you commonly hear from aspiring competitors, as most envision themselves as being ready to challenge for championship gold as soon as they get a couple regional wins under their belt.

But Elder is now acutely aware of how different things are when you’re competing at the sport’s highest level, and all that is required in order to have success inside the Octagon. After dropping each of his first two contests, he’s rebounded with consecutive victories, and while he’d certainly like to make it three-in-a-row on Saturday, fixating on the outcome of this weekend’s return to action is another thing that Elder has worked to change during these extended breaks from competition.

“(These breaks) have given me more time to grown physically and mentally as a martial artist, and as a person,” began Elder, who obviously is hoping a win this weekend over Young and three-fight run of success brings a more expeditious return to action. “I think the biggest thing has been maturing as a man — physically, mentally, spiritually — and really figuring out…”

But combined, they build a picture of a someone that has taken the time to be deeply introspective and determine what is best for himself — personally, professionally — and committed to living by those new ideals.

“I think, for me, a lot of that adjustment period is,” said Elder, pausing mid-sentence once more. “I feel like I went from being a bit of a boy still to becoming a man. I was so excited to be in the UFC — all the bright lights were crazy and there was so much pressure and nerves — and now I’m legitimately trying to believe and understand more and more that none of this stuff matters.

“At the end of the day, you could be the greatest fighter in the world, and you’re still not gonna be good enough for a lot of people,” he said, chasing his words with a chuckle. “On the other end of that, the people that truly love you and support you, love you for who you are and are always going to support you.

“So I’m just truly focused on my progression as a man; to be the greatest version of myself to protect and provide for my loved ones as much as possible.”