Inspired by training partner and featherweight world champion Alexander Volkanovski, Australian Jamie Mullarkey will be out to solidify his place in the UFC with another resounding finish when he fights Devonte Smith in Las Vegas this weekend.
Mullarkey's own travel schedule unfortunately meant that he wasn't able to watch Volkanovski's victory over Brian Ortega live. But after touching down in Las Vegas, he quickly caught up with the highlights of the gripping five-round title fight in which Volkanovski eventually prevailed via unanimous decision.
"What a war, it's exactly the motivation and energy that I needed coming into fight week," Mullarkey said of Volkanovski's victory. "It's just motivated me to go out and do the same.
"It just goes to show that it comes down to how much you want it. He [Volkanovski] was in that guillotine and it was so deep, you heard him say that he thought the fight was going to be over but he hung in there and just did not accept defeat.
"And it does give me a lot of confidence knowing that I've just done a world championship camp beside him. So I'm full of confidence riding into this fight and I'm gonna go in there and get the win."
The switch to Freestyle Fighting Gym alongside Volkanovski, under the tutelage of Joe Lopez, has been huge for Mullarkey.
Having accepted his first fight in the UFC at just three weeks' notice while he was plugging away on a job site back in 2019, Mullarkey had plenty to learn about what it takes to be a true MMA professional.
Going to work alongside Volkanovski day in, day out, was always going to leave a lasting impression.
"It's done heaps, it's a real privilege and an honour to be able to go down and work with the Freestyle Fighting Gym," Mullarkey explained. "It's been really eye-opening and I think the biggest thing I've taken out of it is that champion mindset and champion mentality, just applying that to my whole lifestyle, my training, the way I act.
"All the little things that you've got to do right, he [Volkanovski] does them right. So I got to see that first hand. I've done a few camps with Alex and the Freestyle Gym now and I've learned a lot.
"And working with Ross Pearson, you can't get any more experience than that, he's a UFC veteran, so it's all coming together."
Mullarkey has also grown in confidence after notching his maiden UFC win in commanding fashion earlier this year. After two successive defeats to start his UFC career, Mullarkey's fight with Khama Worthy was really a now-or-never proposition.
"It was a must-win fight because I was 0-2 [in the UFC] and my back was against the wall, but I've said it before that that brings the best out of me," he told ESPN.
"It taught me that I belong here in the UFC, that's what it's done for my mindset. I've got my feet under me now, I'm a little bit more familiar with the company and the way things run here, and I'm ready to have a real crack at this and have a run at the title myself."
Armed with the confidence that comes with getting the job inside the Octagon and then back-to-back camps alongside one of the world's best in Volkanovski, Mullarkey is ready for whatever Smith might throw at him this weekend.
And Smith better be ready for Mullarkey, too.
"I've got to be mindful of everything, like every fight. We've figured out a good game plan and I'm very confident in my preparation. And we're just ready to go now, the work's been done, it's time to pull the trigger," he said.
"The finish is always the No. 1 goal; I'll be looking to finish the fight. My record speaks for itself, I've got a high finish rate but you'll just have to tune in and see."