FACING THE CROWD THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE

A lot of pressure and anxiety can come from seeing so many people cheering and supporting you or the opponent. There are many fighters that excel in the gym and look a million dollars behind closed doors, yet as soon as they get on 'the big stage', in front of thousands of fans, they fall to pieces and are unable to perform.

I'm aware of the importance of keeping it together on the night. When I make my UFC debut at UFC 105 on November 14, I'll be walking out in front of a crowd just shy of 20,000 people. It's a huge occasion for me and one I've been preparing for since the end of June. I've been preparing physically in the gym for around 12 weeks now, but I've also been doing a great deal of mental preparation, just to make sure I'm able to cope with the size of the event when the time comes.

I've never witnessed anything like a major UFC event before. I've obviously attended them in the past, but I've never actually walked out to a huge UFC crowd ahead of a fight. I don't know how that's going to feel and, to be honest, I'm a little anxious about the whole thing. I'm nervous about the big spotlight, the noise and all the people watching me. I'm not worried about the fight itself, but just wary of the possibility I might not perform to my best.

Nobody really knows how you will cope with the big stage until you actually go out there and experience it. I'm anxious to try it, but I'm also very excited about the whole thing. When I went down to UFC 70 at the MEN Arena, I knew back then that I'd one day be competing at that arena for the UFC. That day is now fast approaching.

I spoke to Mike Bisping the other week at one of the local MMA shows in Liverpool. He basically told me to keep my composure on the night and prepare myself for the huge reception I'm going to receive when I enter the Octagon. So long as I prepare myself for it, I think I'll be fine. I know the Manchester fans are going to be incredible on November 14 and I'm more than ready for it.

My experience in Las Vegas at The Ultimate Fighter finale was a good dress rehearsal for future big UFC nights. It gave me a taster of what is to come and was basically an introduction to the whole UFC fight night. Fighting in Vegas allowed me to bridge the gap between fighting on local shows and then fighting on a huge event like UFC 105. It now doesn't feel like I'm just being thrown in the deep end when I make my debut in Manchester.

When the time comes, the crowd often don't even enter your mind. When you're making that walk to the Octagon, it's all about you, your opponent and your desire to win. Nobody else matters at that point in time. Sometimes you don't even realise you're fighting in front of thousands of people. I'm just so focused on the fight. Once that cage door shuts, it's just me and my opponent. I don't hear anything else. Nothing else matters. Nobody else can help you...

*** Last tickets for UFC 105 are available now from ticketmaster.co.uk ***