Mark Ewen recalls first setting eyes on the OVO Hydro two years ago. It's a Monday night with rapper Dave headlining at the Glasgow venue. The only image racing through MMA breakout star Ewen's mind, though, is taking centre stage himself one day.
A social media post from that night remains live on Ewen's Instagram account with the captain: "It’s always been a dream to sell out the Hydro". Little did he know it would come so soon.
Fast forward to the current day and the Falkirk fighter, 25, is in line to feature on the first MMA event hosted in Scotland in seven years when the Professional Fighters League take over the Hydro on September 28.
We can exclusively reveal Ewen - who has a 5-1 record - will fight Latvian competitor Aleksandr 'Pretty Boy' Chizov in the event which will feature a host of Scottish talent.
"This is something I have envisioned since I was a kid," said Ewen of the fight announcement. "I remember going to the Hydro for an event standing outside and getting my mate to take a photo of me and putting it on Instagram and saying, 'One day I am going to come back here with a fight show, one day I'm going to sell the place out'.
"Now, to be coming back with PFL is a full circle moment. It's crazy. It really is amazing to be coming back to Glasgow, especially with the Hydro.
"It was a music event, I'm sure it was Dave or something. I was there for a rap event with my mates.
"It was the first time I'd actually been at the Hydro to get a feel for it; the size of it, the scale of it.
"I know they have had shows there before in the past and I just thought, 'I'm going to be back here and I'm going to bring a big show with me'.
"I think it is every kid's dream to sell out in their own country so it's something I really wanted to do."
There's no disputing the fact that fight night at the Hydro - on PFL Europe's 2024 playoffs with tickets available on Ticketmaster - will be the biggest of Ewen's fledgling career.
But the major Scottish prospect - who has won via knockout or submission finish in all 16 of his amateur and professional victories - insists it will be the first of many in his home nation.
"It's definitely going to be a big event, probably the highlight of my career to this point," he said. "I started off fighting in town halls in Falkirk and all over Glasgow and Edinburgh.
"To go from town halls to now be fighting at sold-out arenas, there is nothing that comes close to that, nothing that hits home like that.
"Coming home to fight is good but in the Hydro somewhere you envisioned from when you were a kid, it's just special.
"It's definitely early on in my career but I did see it coming. I think it will be a recurring thing.
"I truly believe there is something about Scottish fans. If you have been to Parkhead or Ibrox or a Scotland game the fans are so passionate and they're singing from the start whistle to the end whistle.
"I've always wanted them to be fans and that passion from Scottish fans to join MMA. Could you imagine them selling out the Hydro and all the arenas every couple of months?
"I have always seen that and longed for that. I think shows are going to start coming back to Scotland more often.
"These nights like this, it is exactly what I live for."
While Ewen remains an elite-level rising talent in Scottish MMA, he will have to shrug off defeat in his last outing - to Claudio Pacella - for the first time in his pro career. The Scot was on the losing end of a unanimous decision but admits he mind was already on the September show.
"It is pivotal that I come back. That's why I keep saying I can't get ahead of myself," he said. "I was thinking about this event before I even had that last fight. Maybe I was looking too far ahead and that's maybe why I slipped up.
"It's different if you lose in front of your home crowd! I truly believe I will come back with a dominant performance and remind people that was a slip-up, a bump in the road and that Mark Ewen is still destined for great things and he is going to go on and do it."
On opponent Chizov, Ewen commented: "He's 10 and three. I've never tried to take any easy fights.
"That last event I had so many guys say no to me or pull out against me and I finally got a fight.
"I will fight anybody but I only want to fight good guys. There's no point in going backwards and fighting bums or journeymen.
"The opponent I have in front of me has a good record, I have watched his fights and studied them.
"I am not going in there and overlooking him like I did last time."
