Kiwi UFC featherweight Shane Young has battled with a variety of adversaries over the past 12 months, the least of which have come inside the Octagon.
The 24-year-old was literally called from his couch to debut in the world's premier mixed martial arts promotion last November, a welcome opportunity that came at a rather inopportune time.
"I was in a weird space at the time," Young told Newshub. "I went through a period of change, especially with my Māori culture.
"I was really anti it for a couple of years and I didn’t realise I was, until I'd reimmersed myself in it.
- Kiwi fighter Shane Young signs on for second UFC fight
- Kiwi fighter Ev Ting back where he began at Pinnacle of Power
- Robert Whittaker retains title after opponent misses weight
"I can't believe all I would think about was the stats of Māori, and not think about the people and beautiful places that I came from, which was really strange."
Spurred on by his girlfriend, who is also of mixed race, Young underwent a cultural reawakening, reconnecting with his Māori heritage and embracing his ancestry wholeheartedly.
"When she spoke Māori, it just inspired me," Young recalled.
"She taught me not to be whakamā about even just trying to speak it. Sometimes, you don’t want other people thinking you're being a try-hard."
The culmination of such lessons will come to bear in Singapore on Saturday night.
Young will proudly fly the Tino rangatiratanga flag - a symbol of Māori sovereignty - as he makes his entrance to the Octagon, the first fighter ever to do so on MMA's biggest stage.
"I finally got it approved by the Ministry of Culture and Heritage, so it's coming over with my coach," said Young.
"I want to do it for my community and where I'm from. I want to be an inspiration to them.
"It also helps me and gives me mana. My ancestors were warriors, fighting to the death in battle.
"I'll talk about it and I'll say Māori words, and it gives me goosebumps. You can't fake that stuff, it gives you power."
The seed was planted when Young saw Australia's Tai Tuivasa take to the Octagon at UFC 225 in Chicago, holding the Aboriginal flag aloft.
"Talking to him about the Aboriginal culture just reaffirmed it for me.
"Carrying a flag doesn’t seem like a huge thing, but when I saw the support and how it inspired people, I realised how big a deal it was."
"Sugar" treated his opponent, Filipino Rolando Dy, to a fearsome pukana as they squared off at weigh-ins, and his plans don't stop there.
Should his hand be raised in victory following his bout with Filipino Rolando Dy, Young intends to conduct part of the post-fight interview in Māori, in front of 12,000 in attendance and a massive global television audience.
It's a chance for Young to put into practice what he's learnt at the Te Reo classes he's been frequenting.
"Some people don’t even know there are free lessons," Young noted. "Even if I could just tell them, that could motivate maybe five people to try them out.
"I hope it inspires other UFC fighters to share in their culture, not just Māori."
Of course, he needs to get past Dy (9-6) first.
The limitations of an eight-day preparation were clear to see that November night in Sydney, against rising Australian featherweight Alexander Volkanovski. Young admits he may have fallen victim to distraction.
"I was focussing on fighting, but I was thinking 'I know the UFC is going to come', but for now, I'm just concentrating on me. I wasn't training as much.
"I felt like I did really well in the fight straight afterwards, I was on this mean buzz. Then I watched it and compared it to all my others fights, and it's my worst-ever performance."
A few days' reflection helped Young (11-4) realise that, despite the unanimous-decision loss, he was far from out of his depth.
Now with the benefit of fulltime training at City Kickboxing, NZ's unofficial combat headquarters, he's sharpening his steel against the likes of UFC fighters Dan Hooker and Israel Adesanya on a daily basis.
His intentions against Dy are clear and concise – to embrace the contest and express himself.
"I really want to put this boy down," Young says emphatically. "I want to showcase my skills, show the fighter that I am.
"Fighting is the truest form of expression. At those highest levels, part of your personality gets let out.
"I'm going to show the person that I am, the mana that I hold and carry my people with me."
Newshub.
