Once he came out form behind the curtain and walked onto the stage at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the magnitude of the situation hit Hatsu Hioki like a ton of bricks.
The highly touted UFC newcomer brings with him a championship pedigree, a wealth of experience, and the collective interest of a nation.
But the spectacle of his first UFC weigh-in ceremony left the Japanese fighter in a state of nervous awe.