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Hong Kong-based Alberto Mina will make his UFC debut in Macau on Saturday night. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Alberto Mina all set to hit the big time in Macau UFC debut

HK-based fighter has trained intensely for fight against Japanese opponent in Macau

Alberto Mina's moment has finally come.

The Hong Kong-based fighter will on Saturday night step out onto the biggest stage there is in his sport when he makes his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut in a welterweight bout against Shinsho Anzai of Japan at Macau's CotaiArena.

That much was assured at yesterday's weigh-in, which saw both fighters cleared for battle, at 170 and 171 pounds respectively.

The news brought a decent old sigh of relief from the 32-year-old Mina, who had been in the exact same position back in March only to have his scheduled opponent then, the American Zak Cummings, weigh in eight pounds over the limit, which resulted in the fight being cancelled.

For me it is 14 years of MMA training, since I started in judo at five years old. It's been a long journey to get to this point. It's the biggest step of my career so far and I am ready
Alberto Mina

"March was pretty tough," explained Mina. "I brought a lot of people over from Hong Kong to Macau to support me and unfortunately it didn't happen. It was big drama but that's life. It's over, it's in the past. The support will be there again - about 400 people from my gym.

"For me it is 14 years of MMA training, since I started in judo at five years old. It's been a long journey to get to this point. It's the biggest step of my career so far and I am ready."

An instructor at the Epic MMA gym in Central, the Brazil-born Mina will be keen to show his students exactly how it is done tonight as he attempts to stay unbeaten in MMA bouts - so far he's 10 fights done, and 10 fights won. The UFC likes to boast its wares are broadcast to around 800 million homes worldwide and Mina said he knows well the possibilities that could open up with a win tonight against Anzai, who has an MMA record of 8-1 and is also making his UFC debut.

Mina has spent the past two months preparing for the bout in London and his lead-up hasn't progressed entirely without its problems, Anzai only coming into calculations last week after Mina's original opponent, Sheldon Westcott of Canada, succumbed to an undisclosed injury. The Japanese fighter is himself on a six-fight winning streak. "My training for the past six weeks has been intense," said Mina. "We've had some problems with the news that my opponent has changed and this new one fights with a completely different style."

The headline events tonight see the Vietnamese-American Cung Le face off against Briton Michael Bisping in a middleweight bout, while rising Korean Kim "Stun Gun" Dong-hyun matches up against the UFC's number four-ranked welterweight Tyron "The Chosen One" Woodley from the US.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Mina all set to hit the big time in UFC debut
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