Or on it.
This past weekend I was in Las Vegas for my brother’s final fight in the UFC. Watching Eryk Anders, a UFC middleweight, step into the octagon for the last time made me reflect on something deeper than the fight itself.
The crowd sees the rounds.
They see the punches.
They see the result.
But warriors understand the real story happens long before the cage gate closes.
As I watched him walk out, one quote kept running through my mind from the Spartan queen in the movie 300:
“Come home with your shield… or on it.”
Not as a threat.
As a standard.
Warriors Commit Fully
When she said “come home with your shield or on it,” she meant something simple:
There is no retreat. Only forward.
Ya Boi carried that same energy into his career.
He didn’t fight with one foot in and one foot out. He committed fully to the craft, to the preparation, and to the responsibility that comes with stepping into the octagon.
And when you live that way, you accept something most people avoid:
The outcome is never guaranteed. Only the commitment is.
Preparation Is the Real Victory
What impressed me most beyond the fight itself.
It was everything that led up to it.
Over the years, Eryk made intentional decisions with the opportunities fighting gave him. Off the mat, he built a portfolio of business, namely Ya Boi Fitness Academy, so his future wasn’t dependent any single moment in the octagon.
He’s present for his son.
He made sure his family was taken care of.
And he built a system around him, coaches, training partners, and an environment that supported the mission.
At middleweight, Eryk cuts more weight than any fighters in his class. That means the margin for error is razor thin. Every detail matters.
His success has so much less to do with luck and so much more to do with his set up.
There is a peace that comes with that preparation, when your identity isn’t directly tethered to the game.
Control the Variables You Can
The fight itself ended up being exactly what fans love to see — a three-round war with a worthy opponent.
But the real lesson has nothing to do with the judges’ scorecards, even though Ya Boi won by unanimous decision.
Warriors understand something leaders should never forget:
You cannot control the outcome.
You can only control the preparation.
Your habits.
Your discipline.
Your environment.
Your effort.
When those are dialed in, you walk into the arena (whatever arena that is for you) knowing you did everything within your control.
And that kind of peace is powerful.
So What’s the Point?
Winning and losing are outcomes.
How you prepare is your identity.
Your Next EASIEST Step
Take five minutes today and write down the three variables you actually control in your life right now.
Your preparation.
Your environment.
Your effort.
Focus your energy there, and stop wasting time worrying about outcomes you cannot influence.
That’s how warriors, and leaders, operate.
Alignment First. Progress Always.
Next Level HQ
Next Level exists to help leaders reconnect to their peace, presence, and power by integrating identity with environment, not forcing willpower alone.