The man affectionately known (by everyone bar his opponents) as 'The Hulk' was recently recognised as Fight News Australia's Best Australian Domestic Fighter of the Year, winning the popular vote and panel vote, as well as Best Knockout of the Year.

He was also ranked in the top 10 of the Ninemsn sport website MMA Kanvas, along with competitors such as Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Mark Hunt and Hector Lombard, and ahead of a number of UFC fighters.

"I look back on the past four years when people told me I was mad to be turning my back on my rugby league career to take up MMA," 26-year-old Volkanovski said. "I always knew I could do it - I certainly had high hopes.

"But these recent awards are just confirming my standing in the sport and I couldn't be happier.

"Apart from being a very motivated person, I figured that I could have a longer career in MMA and I am already having a few feelers about a possible UFC career, and that is definitely my ultimate plan."

He credited some of his recent success to the time spent as a scholarship fighter with Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand.

"It has been an incredible experience. There are just so many great fighters over there, meaning you have world-class facilities and training partners.

"In fact I have done well enough there to now be one of their sponsored fighters, meaning I can train there any time I want and use their incredible support network.

"But when it comes to planning tactics for my fights and training locally I love returning to the Freestyle Fighting Gym at Windang, which my coach Joe Lopez runs.

"Joe knows me better than anyone else and we work well together."

With a 9-1 record since turning professional and 13-1 overall, Volkanovski has certainly created a lot of hype.

"I was lucky enough to be equal top billing at a Pacific Extreme Combat event in Guam, which was a buzz and I managed to beat the No.1 ranked featherweight fighter.

"Random people were walking up to me in the street and talking to me - it was a bit bizarre."

In the meantime, Volkanovski will return to Thailand on Wednesday for more training, and said he needs to do a bit of work to get back to his 66-kilogram featherweight fighting weight.

"I let myself go a bit over Christmas and need to shed quite a few kilos, but with another possible fight in March, I am looking forward to the challenge."