American-Malaysian fighter Aaron Ern-Wuei Phillips is eager to return to the octagon cage for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Fight Night 196 in Las Vegas on Oct 23.
Phillips will take on American Jonathan Martinez in the bantamweight bout after his fights against England's Cameron Else and Kris Moutinho were cancelled for various reasons.
The 32-year-old, who returned to the UFC in 2020 after nearly six years away, suffered a second-round defeat (submission) to Jack Shore of Wales in his last bout more than a year ago.
Martinez, meanwhile, is eager to make an impression in Las Vegas following his defeat to England's Davey Grant in March.
Phillips hopes to win his fight next month.
"Martinez and I have a similar fighting style. However, Martinez has more experience as he has been in the UFC for a long time," said Phillips.
"However, I believe I have the physical advantage. Furthermore, I have been fighting in the bantamweight division for a long time.
"I have been sparring weekly with five-minute round fights to prepare for this bout. It has helped a lot to get things going, as my last fight was more than a year ago.
"A fighter may be ready for bouts, but he has to get his body prepared for the punishment in the cage. So, these sessions are helping me a lot.
Phillip, whose mother is from Penang, has been training at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas, since his defeat to Shore last year.
"I have been mixing up my training with jiu-jitsu and wrestling ahead of the bout. I feel stronger now," he added.
