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On Sunday night, the next chapter of Neil Seery's UFC career will be written at UFC Rotterdam when he takes on the number five ranked Japanese flyweight Kyoji Horiguchi.

The fight will be Seery's sixth in the organisation as he looks to improve his UFC record to 4-2 inside the Octagon. The Irishman knows Horiguchi will prove a tough task.

"He's an outstanding fighter, anyone that can go five rounds with Demetrious Johnson is," said Seery. "He lost with only one second to go so it just goes to show how tough of a fighter he is. It's going to be a tough ask but it's a fight at the end of the day."

Seery walks into the Octagon on Sunday as a huge underdog but the man from Dublin is used to that.

"I think Paddy Power have had me as an underdog my whole career so this isn't anything new to me," he said laughing. "They lost a few quid though I can tell you that. So I don't mind that I'm an underdog. The odds don't mean anything to me."

(Image: Steve Marcus/Getty)

The fight in Rotterdam will be the 28th of Seery's professional career and while some will say fighting comes like second nature to them, the Dubliner admits he still gets nervous before entering the arena.

"Of course I still get nervous, If any fighter ever tells you any different then they are lying," he said. "The nerves get to you. The excitement and the adrenaline. Everything just kicks in at once and it's just go time then. You sit there watching everyone else's fight and then that's when you start getting nervous.

"You see the way they win and the way they lose. Of course, nerves kick in, you just wonder what's going to happen. Once you get in there though, you just know it's go time. You just do what you've been training for and that's 'just go in there and fight'."

At 36 years of age, Seery is one of the elder statesmen in the flyweight division.

And, while Seery isn't slow by any means, he thinks his personal drive and determination has helped him stand the test of time better than others.

(Image: Zuffa LLC via Getty)

"Well it certainly isn't good living that's for sure," said Seery jokingly. "I think it's the work ethic I've got. I just never stop and that's what I think has got me so far. Even when I'm down I just don't stop and that's basically what I think it comes down to."

Horiguchi is a former title contender and is considered to be one of the flyweight division's premier talents.

Should Seery pick up a win on Sunday, he will be in the mix as a world title contender given the lack of other obvious options in the division right now.

That will obviously mean a face-off with the imperious Demetrious 'Mighty Mouse' Johnson, a man who the Irishman has nothing but the utmost respect for.

(Image: Zuffa LLC via Getty)

"I said it the other day, I tweeted when he was fighting that, to me, he's number one the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world," said Seery, without a moment of hesitation. "He's a fantastic athlete, the way he moves and switches things up is just a joy to watch."

"I can't think past Horiguchi though so I just have to think about the fight in front of me. That's such a huge fight for me. I can't think past that and I won't think about stuff like that."

Although Rotterdam isn't the longest trip from home, Seery thinks that the majority of his support will be watching on TV in Ireland.

He said: "I've got a few teammates here and a few people will come over to watch me but I know there will be a hell of a lot of people watching me on Sunday night on Fight Pass."