Nigeria-born Kiwi mixed martial arts fighter Israel Adesanya says he is over his initial frustrations with the UFC, as the middleweight star begins his fighting camp for an interim title shot at UFC 236.
Adesanya is set to fight US rival Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in Atlanta on April 14.
"I'm going to fight Kelvin one day, might as well do it now," said Adesanya.
Current Australian UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker was meant to fight Gastelum at UFC 234 in Melbourne earlier this month.
But Whittaker pulled out of his title fight after having to undergo an emergency surgery the day of the fight to get rid of a hernia in his stomach.
After Adesanya won his bout with Brazilian Anderson Silva at the same event, he was guaranteed a title shot with the winner out of the Whittaker and Gastelum by UFC president Dana White.
"I was a little bit after that like 'nah we agreed on a belt that was what me and Dana [White] shook on. So I was like don't shaft me,'" said Adesanya.
"I was really pushing like 'strip the c*** [Whittaker] then.' F*** he [Whittaker] has fought once in the last year. How many times have I fought in the last year?
"And I know he [Whittaker] is fighting top level competition, the last three-two guys I have fought are top level competition and I smoked them as well.
"I was just a bit 'give me my belt' but I don't really care, I am going to fight all these guys, so I was like 'f*** it let's go.' [I will fight] Kelvin for the belt and then Robert for the belt."
The 29-year-old is preparing for his sixth UFC fight after making his debut in the organisation early last year.
Adesanya told 1 NEWS he isn't bothered about his busy fighting schedule and that he isn't ready to take his foot off the gas.
"People [say] overtraining is a myth – false. Too much of anything is bad, even too much of moderation is bad," he said.
"Sometimes you have to know - not just physically, emotionally, mentally, every way - spiritually, you have to know when to push on the gas and you have to know [when to] ease off the gas and know when to put the brake on.
"We are not just training hard – we're working smart. There's level to this s***."
Adesanya has an MMA record of 16 wins, no losses with 13 KO victories. Gastelum has an MMA record of 15 wins and three losses.
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