And it will very much be a case of going into the lion’s den for the 29-year-old when he takes on Welshman Mason Jones at the leisure centre on Saturday 3rd March .

Not that the Cheltenham-based fighter is fazed by the fact that the majority of fans will be in his opponent’s corner... in fact, quite the opposite!

“I might go into the cage flying the English flag or carrying a sign saying ‘The dragon slayer’,” he laughed. “That will get them going!”

Tracey, who fights in the 70 kilos (11st) lightweight category, has won in Newport before – he’s won two of his three fights so far – but knows that he needs to get past Jones if he is to realise his dream of winning a national title some time later this year and ultimately stepping up to the next level which is the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

And the cage fighter is under no illusions about the size of the task he faces at the beginning of March.

“Jones used to be part of the Welsh judo team,” he said. “He had a few fights as a pro boxer and was unbeaten in mixed martial arts so it won’t be easy.

“He’s in his early 20s so he’s an up and comer but so was the last guy I fought in Newport. He was undefeated too but I beat him.”

So what sort of fight can the fans ringside and those watching on TV expect?

“I’m expecting Jones to be a little bit more of a striker than the last guy,” said Tracey. “I’m expecting him to stand there and try to strike me. The last guy tried to take me down.”

So which style would Tracey prefer to take on?

“I don’t mind,” he said very matter-of-factly. “I’m more of a striker myself. I like to knock people down. But if we go to ground that’s no issue.”

Confidence clearly isn’t a problem for the one-time Cheltenham College pupil who knows that if he can win this fight and maybe one more he should get the chance to fight for a national title.

“This fight is a massive stepping stone to winning a cage warrior national title,” he said. “If I perform well and win well in Newport then I may get a title chance sooner.

“It’s the same route that Conor McGregor took.”

Tracey, who trains at Trojan Freefighters in Gloucester, is already preparing for his showdown in March, which will be over three five-minute rounds.

“Yes, I’ve started training,” he said. “And I’m already into very clean eating, in fact I’m cooking a meal now.”

So what was he about to eat?

“Cooked spinach, sweet potatoes and chicken with a little bit of seasoning,” he said quite proudly.

Mmm, sounds pretty good. And Tracey will certainly be hoping that he is still flavour of the month in the cage fighting world come the end of his fight on 3rd March!