In a new episode of the 'UFC Connected' series, Bosnian-born US-based UFC lightweight Mirsad Bektic introduces his hometown in Bosnia, Srebrenica.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) organisation, the world’s top mixed martial arts promoter, visited Srebrenica together with Bektic and followed him as he trained in a local gym.

“Just being Bosnian itself is very inspirational for me. Knowing what the country went through, knowing what the people went through, it gives me a lot of drive,” he said.

Bektic was born in, and when the war began a year later, his mother took him and his two brothers to Italy and then to Germany shortly after, where he spent six years. Bektic would then end up in the US, Nebraska.

His father stayed behind in Bosnia.

“Now, 20 years later, we are together again in Bosnia,” he said.

His father, Sejad Bektic, also gave a statement for UFC Connected.

“When the war began, he was a little baby. I have not seen them (his family) from 1992 until 1998. You know, when your whole world gets flipped around like that, you don’t know anything, you just want to save yourself,” he said.

“It was really difficult,” he said, adding that he was overjoyed when he was reunited with his son years later.

Mirsday Bektic spoke about his relationship with his father, saying they are very close even though they were separated for years.

“What my dad does on a regular basis is that he gets up every morning at about seven and takes the sheep out. He breeds the sheep,” Bektic said, adding that he helps him in this daily routine.