Hollywood, Florida, is all set to host two decorated martial artists in their respective disciplines as the UFC Fight Night gets under way on 27 June. The main event of the pay-per-view will feature karate sensation Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and former Olympic wrestler Yoel "Soldier of God" Romero.
The middleweight bout is scheduled for five rounds in the Octagon, which will also feature a welterweight bout between Lorenz Larkin and Santiago Ponzinibbio, as the co-main event of the night.
Going into his main event bout with the hard-hitting Romero, Machida -- current No. 4 ranked UFC middleweight fighter -- says that he is not intimated by his opponent this Saturday, and the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is looking forward to performing at this best, like he's always done.
"I only focus on what it is I'm going to do in the Octagon," the Brazilian told UFC.com.
"There is always excitement to put on a good show for the fans, but I've been in this situation many times before in my career, and I just go out and perform my best. I like pressure, but there's not much for me."
Machida, 37, looks the better of the two fighters when the UFC experience is concerned, but the Shotokan karateka must be wary of Romero's striking flair.
The Cuban holds the distinction of winning as much as 89% of his fights through Knockout/Technical Knockout (KO/TKO).
The 38-year-old also has landed an average of 3.49 strikes per minute, in comparison to Machida's 2.62.
"I can't think about anything other than my fight. Romero is what I have to focus on. He's very dangerous, like I said," Machida, who has headlined six consecutive UFC main events, including his upcoming fight on Saturday, added.
Romero, who won a silver medal in Wrestling at the Olympics in 2000 representing Cuba, also has a powerful record of landing a whopping 14 flying knee knockouts in his UFC career so far, which also includes Romero's Octagon debut against Clifford Starks at UFC on FOX: Henderson vs. Melendez, and he also went on to earn the Knockout of the Night bonus.
The No. 6 UFC middleweight fighter has poured praise on the fighting acumen of his opponent this Saturday, and the Cuban asserts that it will be a "great fight".
"Machida is a very talented fighter," Romero said. "He has a unique style and has been a champion before.
"I think we will have to wait for June 27 for that answer," he smiles. "It will be a great fight.
"Fights are like life, you need to adjust according to what's happening."
Machida comes into the fight at the back of 22 wins and six losses, whereas Romero has a total of nine wins and one loss.
Both the fighters weighed in at 186 pounds at the official pre-match Weigh in, and it is expected to be close to a full house at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, as the main card gets under way.
Where to Watch Live
The UFC Fight Night: Machida vs Romero airs LIVE on Fox Sports 1 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT (7:30am IST, 2:30am BST) with LIVE & EXCLUSIVE coverage in India on Sony SIX/SIX HD & KIX.
Four prelim bouts will air live on FOX Sports 2 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Viewers in the UK can catch the pay-per-view LIVE on BT Sport 2.
Click here for the Live Streaming.
