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Steve Erceg was halfway through a KFC meal when the phone rang.
It was his manager letting him know the UFC wanted the Perth product to fight Brazil's Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight world title.
Erceg only has three fights in the UFC. Taking on the impressive Pantoja would be difficult anywhere but doing so in Rio de Janerio, in front of 20,000 fans baying for his blood, ups the degree of difficulty significantly.
But Erceg didn't hesitate. He accepted the fight, finished the KFC and got to work for the biggest fight of his life, which will come on Sunday afternoon (AEST) at UFC 301.
The 27-year old is perhaps Australia's most unlikely UFC title challenger but he has a quiet confidence that's served him well during his meteoric rise and will prove crucial if he's to score the upset win over Pantoja.
"There's a lot more media, a lot more of my ugly mug on posters and billboards, that takes some getting used to. But the face off, the fight itself, that'll all be similar," Erceg said.
"Some of it comes from how hard I work, I'm in the gym constantly, I rarely take holidays and I've been doing that for a long time.
"And like most fighters, I'm a little bit delusional – I have some weird belief in myself that other people don't have. It's served me well so far.
"If I lose my head I know my dad will put me back in my place. I have lost my head in the past and he's been very quick to help me realise I've been an idiot.
"All the people still make fun of me like they always have, just like I do with them. Nothing's changed with my close-knit community."
Erceg shot to prominence with a thunderous knockout of Matt Schnell in March that's helped catapult him towards a title bout.
He's just the sixth Australian to fight for a UFC title and is aiming to join Robert Whittaker and Alex Volkanovski as one of the few fighters from these shores to win championship gold.
Erceg's rapid rise – he made his UFC debut less than a year ago – has surprised even himself, but he's always planned to find himself in this position eventually.
"I thought I'd fight some lower-level guys first and work my way up, things have happened quickly, faster than I expected," Erceg said.
"But that's not to say I'm not ready for it, I've been working very hard for a long time and I'm very excited to be in this position.
"It would be amazing to put my name next to guys like that (Australia's other champions). You'll get validation for all the hard work I've put in and the belief my team and my teammates have had in me.
"To do it for myself, my family, my friends, my country, it'll be amazing."
Erceg enters the bout with Pantoja as the outsider with the Brazilian riding a five-fight winning streak and coming off the back of an impressive title defence against Brandon Royval.
The atmosphere at Arena Olímpica do Rio will be a thing to overcome itself – Brazilin fans are known for their hostility to foreign fighters, but Erceg isn't just welcoming the challenge, he's looking forward to it.
"You've seen the crowds for UFC events in Brazil before and you ask yourself how you would perform under that pressure, with all the chants and stuff," Erceg said.
"It's exciting, it's the birthplace of the UFC, so to come here against a Brazilian, fighting for the belt – it couldn't be any better.
"His resilience is a big thing. He can get tired in the second or third round and it looks like it's over, but he keeps pushing. It's hard not to respect that."