“When you’re fighting in previous organizations, it’s not the same,” Oki said with a smile. “The UFC is the main thing — it’s your goal, it’s your dream — and it’s like, ‘Wow! Am I really here?’ You have that thing and the other thing is that you need to perform.
“At the Dana White’s Contender Series, I knew it was an opportunity that I had to take, so I was like, ‘I’m just gonna give it my all and f*** everything else,’ so I was 100-percent go, go, go. Once you have the contract, you’re like, ‘Now I’m here’ and you have four fights, and you see DC, all those big stars you see on TV, so you’re enjoying the process, but also living it and being like, ‘Wow!’
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“It takes time to make the switch from ‘Wow — it’s the UFC’ to ‘Okay, I’m here, and now let’s work, let’s do it!’” added “The Zulu Warrior,” who put the finishing touches on his training camp in Paris alongside Nassourdine Imavov, Benoit Saint Denis, and William Gomis, all of whom are set to compete this weekend at Accor Arena. “I’m used to it, but you have to get used to the cage, the big cameras, the public and everything. Now I feel like I’m here, I’ve seen it all, and I’m ready to perform at my best.
“I signed my second contract, so I’m super-happy about that, and I’m ready to go and to live on my dream.”