Daniel Hooker is looking to put three years of hard work to the test in the biggest fight of his career against Ross Pearson on Sunday.
The Kiwi MMA star made his UFC debut in Auckland in 2014 when he knocked out Brit, Ian Entwistle, much to the delight of a raucous home crowd.
Five-fights later and the Aucklander has spent the best part of the last 36 months travelling the globe, looking to hone his skills at some of the best fight camps in the world.
Hooker said his fight with the UFC veteran is the perfect opportunity to put everything he has learned together.
"It's so good to be back and get to showcase those skills and I'm looking to put on a show for the New Zealand fans," said Hooker.
England native Pearson, has a UFC career that spans eight-years and 22 fights, including winning the Ultimate Fighter reality series in 2009.
The 32-year-old provides Hooker with his toughest challenge as a professional and the Kiwi acknowledges that he will need to fight at an elite level to come out on top.
"Ross is just an amazing opponent. He is fit, strong and tough and he comes to fight. He is not looking to run around the Octagon and that's exactly what I am after in my home town.
"There is no real position where he is not capable, he has seen everything. I'm going to go out there and put on the fight of my life and it will have to be the performance of my life to get the win."
Hooker added, "Regardless of everything else, I just want to put on an amazing performance and the kind of fight that the home town crowd can be proud of.
Pearson believes he has the tools to put the Kiwi away and silence the home crowd.
The Australian-based lightweight admitted that Hooker is dangerous when fighting at range given his six-inch reach advantage, but he won't allow the local the chance to show that come Sunday.
"Once you close the distance and keep it to punch, elbow and wrestling range he struggles a little bit," said Pearson.
"I'm going to be in and out of that range where he is throwing shots and not hitting, and I can be inside and hitting, which is eventually going to be the shot that takes him out."
It's a pressure fight for the Brit, having lost his last three-fights.
"He is a tough guy, but at the end of the day my last couple fights haven't been great so I need to get back on that performance bandwagon and show people what I can do and get up where I belong.
"I'm going to take him out, hurt him and move forward and keep that ball rolling."
Pressure is something that Hooker is embracing this time around, with the 27-year-old admitting his laid back attitude to fighting has cost him in the past.
"I have put more pressure on myself for this fight," said Hooker.
"A lot of people have to turn the pressure tap down but for me it goes the other way. I have to make myself a bit nervous because you need that adrenaline to keep you sharp and make you reactive, so for me I want to turn that pressure up."
UFC Fight Night Auckland is headlined by a heavyweight fight between American Derrick Lewis and Kiwi MMA legend Mark Hunt.
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