Australian flyweight star Steve Erceg says it's a scary thought knowing bombs could be dropped on Abu Dhabi at any time, but there's no way he's going to pull out of Saturday's UFC bout against Ramazan Temirov.
Erceg (14-4) will be the co-main attraction at UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena as he attempts to make it three wins on the trot.
But he will do so amidst an uncertain political landscape, with the on-and-off again war between Iran and the US putting the Middle East on edge.
During the war, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks targeting the UAE, including strategic sites in Abu Dhabi given the capital hosts a US military site.
Given the potential danger, Erceg's fiance Katelyn and other family members have been told to stay home.
His father Matthew Erceg, who also serves as one of Erceg's coaches, is the only family member who has come across.
"Yeah, I was hesitant of course," Erceg said of his feelings upon arrival in Abu Dhabi.
Perth is taking over!
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Don't miss former title-contender Steve Erceg in #UFCAbuDhabi's co-main event 👊@VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi | Live this weekend | 🇦🇺Paramount+ | 🇳🇿TVNZ+ pic.twitter.com/QwaBJVraN7
"It's a scary thing to think that there could be drones flying around and you could be bombed at any time.
"But since I've been here, there's been no indication that any of that's happened, and all the locals seem very calm and confident. So I feel like they would know best."
Erceg did have some reservations before accepting the fight, but once he was locked in there was no way he was turning back.
"Once I've accepted the fight, I'm not pulling out," Erceg said.
"And at the end of the day, the UFC's best interest is to look after the fighters because that's how they make their money.
"So if they thought it was safe enough for us to come over, it probably is."
Erceg came within a whisker of snaring the flyweight title when he fought Alexandre Pantoja two years ago, but his career was at a crossroads as recently as March last year following three losses on the trot.
The 30-year-old is back up to 13th in the flyweight rankings following wins over Ode Osbourne and Tim Elliott and he's expecting a tough battle against Uzbek power striker Temirov (19-3).
