SYDNEY – Bec Rawlings had been itching for the UFC to add a women’s flyweight division for a while. This week, she finally gets to take advantage of her wish.

Rawlings (7-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) meets fellow Australian fighter and UFC newcomer Jessica-Rose Clark (7-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 121 in front of their home-country fans. After missing the strawweight limit in her most recent fight, Rawlings is glad the days dropping an extra 10 pounds are over.

“Last week, I felt awesome – I had so much energy,” Rawlings told MMAjunkie this week in Sydney. “I was like, ‘This doesn’t feel right. Something feels wrong.’ My coach was like, ‘Yeah, you’re in good shape, and you’re healthy.’ It’s an amazing feeling that I can just focus on open workouts, focus on the media and my fight, and not have to worry about a stupid weight cut.”

UFC Fight Night 121 takes place Sunday (but airs live on Saturday in North America due to the time difference) at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. It airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

Rawlings will be trying to rebound from back-to-back losses to Paige VanZant and Tecia Torres, for whom she missed weight in February at UFC Fight Night 104.

She also will have to deal with a short-notice opponent in Clark, who took the fight a little more than a week ago after Rawlings’ original opponent, Joanne Calderwood, pulled out with an injury.

But Rawlings thinks Clark will bring it – and knows that a pair of Aussie women fighting in front of their home fans could turn in something special.

“The energy from the Australian crowd, it just feels like home,” Rawlings said. “It just gives you a different feeling and makes you want to work even harder out there.

” … It’s annoying getting last-minute changes, but her style is somewhat the same as Joanne. Joanne is somewhat technical, whereas Jess – she’s a tough Aussie. You look at all Aussie girl fighters – we’re tough, we’ve got heart. She’s skillful, and she’s tough, so it’s going to be a hard fight for me. But I’m confident I’m going to win.”

For more from Rawlings, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 121, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.