British heavyweight James Thompson admits he isn’t quite recovered from a hamstring injury he sustained this past month against Bobby Lashley.

He said he’s “a little bit” nervous to fight Tsuyoshi Kohsaka (28-18-2) at Dec. 29’s “Rizin Fighting Federation 1: Day 1” at 36,000-seat Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

It is, after all, a big stage to jump on just one month removed from a 54-second TKO loss, which reversed a decision win over Lashley three years ago in India.

Also, at the time of his interview on Wednesday, Thompson (20-15) has trained for the fight about two days.

“Of course, I am in good shape from the training I did for the last fight,” he told MMAjunkie. “Hopefully, it will be enough to carry me through.”

To be fair, Thompson said he tried to train earlier. But his leg acted up, and then he became ill and was sidelined.

“It’s just one thing after another since the injury,” he said. “I’ve got in this situation, and that’s the way it is. You can’t complain about it. You’ve just got to get on with it.”

Thompson traveled to America to prepare for Lashley with Team Takedown. It was a welcome change from the training options in his U.K. hometown of Bristol, where he said most of the serious MMA gyms have closed.

Working with the staff of professional coaches and fighters, the British heavyweight built a foundation that ultimately was taken by chance. It might help him the next time around, though.

The good news he’s facing a guy who hasn’t fought in nine years, so the ring rust of Kohsaka might make up for the lack of preparation he’s facing. Thompson said the challenges will fade into the background when he gets into the ring.

“At the end of the day, I’m taking this fight because I think I’ll win,” he said. “It’s risky to do that, but I’m not going in with the mindset of, ‘oh god.’ These things are concerning me, but I’m going to put them in the back of my head. I’ll give it 100 percent, and I will come out with a win.”

And despite the stakes of the fight, Thompson said his career is in a much better place with Bellator. Prior to signing with the Viacom-owned promotion, he was fighting with “independent” MMA promotions around Europe.

A contract offers something closer to steady work. In a business where your pay can vary so drastically, that’s as good as it can get for a veteran fighter.

“I would fight in Poland, and then the week after, fight in another eastern European MMA company for next to nothing,” he said. “That was starting to wear on me.”

But when you’re under contract with an American promoter, he said, you’re fighting for your show and win money. Without the latter, it can force you to do things you wouldn’t necessarily do. He’s got a son and a daughter on the way and said he needs to put food on the table.

Could he get another job?

“Not without going to prison,” he jokes. “I need to make money to survive. It comes down to that. Maybe I’m saying too much. I’m an honest person.”

For more on Rizin Fighting Federation 1 and Bellator’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.