For people like me, who appreciate the love and respect you get from the fans in Japan, there was no reason for me to turn my head to the other side and go try my options and luck in the UFC.
I've always loved UFC. I watched it back since the days it wasn't big in Australia at all, and you had to watch a Blockbuster videos. They would always come like a year late, but I tried as many of the live ones I could or wait for the videos to come out. So, I've loved the sport for that long. I've always been into martial arts.
Nothing but respect to all the fighters that are in the UFC, but every single one of us wants to prove something. And you know, eventually, I want to prove myself in that lightweight division too.
Being in UFC is a great promotion for me because I have more fans from all over Australia.
I made promises to myself and my family that I'd be in the UFC before my first daughter was born, that didn't happen. I was almost at breaking point a week before I got that contract, I was going to go back to concreting - that weekend I get my major sponsor, which was huge, and I end up getting my UFC contract the weekend after that.