Less than a year ago Duke Didier was in a very dark place - today he wakes up as an Australian mixed martial arts champion.
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A unanimous decision victory handed Didier the Brace MMA light heavyweight championship against Mike Turner at the AIS Arena on Saturday.
Didier retired from judo a beaten man after missing last year's Olympic Games, but he looked reborn inside the octagon at Brace 49.
The qualification process for the Olympics was "the hardest thing" Didier has ever done, and missing the Games by a whisker took him to "an even darker place".
At times he wasn't even sure if he wanted to compete anymore after missing Rio, but winning an Australian title has "reignited the flame".
Never had Didier felt so relaxed and so prepared before a fight, and the excitement was written all over the Canberra product before he'd even stepped into the cage.
"It was the most bizarre feeling because I never ever thought that, I've never felt like that," Didier said.
"Ten minutes before I got into the cage, I'd never felt so relaxed and so prepared. When I got in there, [coach Ben Edwards] said to me 'make sure you have some fun', and I enjoyed it from start to finish.
"I was just really enjoying the moment, as opposed to other times when I've fought where I've got myself so revved up to the point where it affected my performance.
"But this time we went in there just cool, calm and relaxed, and just with the knowledge that all the work was done. It was just exactly how we planned it and I'm just really, really happy."
While Turner had the belt, Didier had the answers as he controlled the fight from start to finish to become Canberra's first national MMA champion.
He even had the upper hand when Turner switched to a southpaw stance - it was something Didier had been working on with striking coach Edwards.
While he had Edwards and UFC fighter Daniel Kelly barking instructions in his corner, it was the home crowd chanting his name that spurred Didier on.
"I'll say it now, I always looked up to Ben Edwards because he was always the big name in Canberra on the fighting scene," Didier said.
"He was always the last fight, always the one that brought Canberra together. It's a pretty cool feeling knowing that that's me. This win wasn't just for myself, it was for everyone in Canberra.
"Having all of the Canberra community come and support me was something I'll never forget."
Every time Didier wins a fight he looks into the crowd to spot his father Geoff, and this time he brought him into the octagon to savour the moment.
Didier had been eating plain yoghurt for breakfast for so long he can't even remember when he started, but it all paid off in the unanimous decision victory.
While the four-month fight camp is over, this is just another step in Didier's journey towards the ultimate goal - a UFC contract.
AT A GLANCE
BRACE 49: Duke Didier def. Mike Turner via Decision for the Brace light heavyweight championship; Ethan Duniam def. Myles Simpson via TKO R1; Anthony Bynoe def. Stephen Owens via Decision; Josh Tummers def. Ryan Mills via Decision; Rene Cayuqueo def Stephen Anderton via Decision; Brennan Corey def. Robert Cuthill via TKO R2; Dean McNay def. Tyson Royal via TKO R2.
