Mentally stoked

Hey to all my faithful readers, thanks for following my blog. Here’s one more quick one less than 24 hours away from my fight at UFC 140 Saturday in Toronto.

I made it through the week and the weigh-ins and now it's time to just relax a bit before my big fight. Of course, it was different than past fight weeks because Shawn wasn't here with me.

It wasn't easy not having him here, but it's been nice because I've got the whole family with me and Shawn's brother is here in Toronto too. We all got to go out and spend time together, so I'm feeling that family bond and it's helping me stay strong and motivated.

My longtime friend and fellow UFC fighter Sam Stout will be my lead corner. He's not fighting this weekend so he can be there for me. He's worked corners with Shawn before, and it's been the same crew for a long time, so we all know what we need and how we react in the fight, so everything should be pretty smooth on Saturday.

I tell you, I could have fought right there and then after I stepped on the scale on Friday afternoon. This is a huge card with all the Canadians and the big names, and it's a huge opportunity. I'm honoured to be on it and to start the night off on the pay-per-view.

The reaction I got from the crowd at the weigh-ins was crazy. I didn't know at the time that I got the loudest cheer of anyone, but that's what people have been telling me. It's pretty amazing the amount of support I've gotten.

I know it's not quite the same as what we had in April for the first show here in Toronto and first UFC event in a stadium. But I know that any time you do something for the first time, it's hard to recreate. Still, I expect the crowd to be nuts on Saturday.

I always like to take time to relax the night before my fight but as it gets closer, I just try to focus on what I'm going to do in the cage. I'm looking to stop Chan Sung Jung on Saturday night.

He's one of those guys who's very unpredictable. So you could say I'm predicting unpredictability from him in our fight. That's his biggest strength really; sometimes he looks to shoot, other times he tries to throw wild punches and kicks.

I also don't expect him to be crushed by the pressure that I plan to bring to him. I'm expecting a war, but I'm still taking him out regardless.

I definitely feel I'm the strongest I've ever been mentally. I felt what it was like to be at the top of the mountain in my last fight against Jose Aldo and was potentially just moments away from beating him. Now I know I can compete with the best and beat them. That makes me really motivated to know I belong up there with the best in the UFC's featherweight division.

I know what I'm capable of doing now, and I'm moments away from another chance to show it. I'm hungry and looking to make a statement.

I'm looking to be the Mark Hominick that I can be.

Follow me on Twitter @MarkHominick

Mark Hominick takes on Chan Sung Jung at UFC 140 on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Toronto.

UFC 140 will be shown live on pay-per-view at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. Watch live preliminary fights on Sportsnet starting at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.

Mark 'The Machine' Hominick is a Canadian mixed martial artist who fights in the UFC.