'I will prove I belong in UFC': Alberto Mina determined to show he's an Octagon powerhouse
Hong Kong-based fighter locked in training for another call to arms in South Korea
Alberto Mina had been preparing for the moment his whole life but then it came, and it was gone, and he found himself standing back stage wondering what the heck had just happened.
"It went by in a flash," says Mina. "Two minutes after the fight I was asking myself, 'Did it happen already?' If you blink your eyes the fight is over."
The bout was Mina's Ultimate Fighting Champions (UFC) debut at Macau's Cotai Arena in August last year, the culmination of years of training and the reward for a dedication to the fight game the 33-year-old can trace back to growing up in Campina Grande, Brazil, and the fascination he felt for judo and ju-jitsu.
After the whole excitement of signing the first deal with the UFC, then waiting and getting that first opportunity I've just really needed some time to work on solidifying the relationship
The first Hong Kong-based mixed martial artist to grace the UFC stage - the biggest there is in mixed martial arts - Mina did the city, and the thousands of fans who had made the trip across the pond, proud.
The fight against Japan's Shinsho Anzai in the UFC's welterweight class was over after four minutes and 17 seconds of the first round, Mina's opponent hammered to the canvas and covering up by the time the bout was called over.