The former Warilla Gorillas star turned his back on footy at age 22, but the move to the octagon is paying dividends, winning his first two fights in the world's largest MMA organisation, and he's now ready for a third this weekend in his home state.

The 29-year-old has already had two fighters withdraw for UFC Sydney on Sunday, and will now fight New Zealand's Shane Young, who is making his UFC debut.

"I know a bit about him - he's been around the New Zealand/Australia scene, he's got a couple of Aussie titles. We were meant to fight before I signed for the UFC, so it was bound to happen sooner or later."

Volkanovski laughs off suggestions that preparing for one fighter and then another on short notice is in any way a disadvantage, and remains extremely confident for his bout, in which he's a heavy favourite with the bookmakers.

"I'm expecting a good crowd, and I'm expecting to put on a good performance too.

"I know he goes good, but I believe I'm on another level."

His transformation from footy player to featherweight (where the weight limit is 66kg) is nothing short of astounding, when you consider the weight cut he's made since plying his trade in country rugby league's Group 7.

"I used to play in the front row, I could eat whatever I want - but I got up to 97 kilograms. And let's remember I'm five foot bloody nothing!" At just 167cm, Volkanovski's weight was never going to be sustainable when he switched to fighting.

"My last year of football I started having a couple of MMA fights, and bringing the weight down. It started in the pre-season of football, just to keep fit, and I did really well."

Really well is an understatement. In his own words, his first four amateur fights lasted just over three minutes combined - he won them all.

"We won the comp, I got man of the match in the grand final, the year before I got the Mick Cronin Medal ... so people thought I was mad when I said I was going to take MMA seriously.

"I didn't think I could make the NRL, but I was confident in myself that I could make the UFC."

Volkanovski was working as a concreter when his first big break came - a chance to train at the prestigious Tiger Muay Thai camp in Thailand.

"Phuket was actually a big part of my journey. Just before that, I bought a house ... we applied for the Tiger Muay Thai tryouts, and I got the email back saying that they're going to put me on to train and try out.

"I talked to the wife, and sort of just put everything on hold so I could chase the dream. I was working on the side, but as soon as I went full time, I just got better and levels just went up leaps and bounds."

After focusing solely on fighting, the wins piled up. 'The Great' has only suffered one loss in his fighting career, to go with 15 wins - but admits there were times just before he finally got the call-up to the big leagues when thinks looked particularly bleak.

"I made promises to myself and my family that I'd be in the UFC before my first daughter was born, that didn't happen.

"I was almost at breaking point a week before I got that contract, I was going to go back to concreting - that weekend I get my major sponsor, which was huge, and I end up getting my UFC contract the weekend after that. I went from the lowest point in my career to the highest in just a week."

Now with two wins under his belt and firmly favoured to rack up a third this weekend, the sky is the limit for Volkanovski - as Australia's footprint inside the UFC continues to get bigger.