Emotions were running high at the UFC 234 weigh-ins, but not in the way we're used to seeing, as co-main event stars Anderson Silva and Israel Adesanya both had to fight back the tears while addressing the Melbourne crowd.
Silva is making his return to the octagon after a two-year hiatus to make a final run at the UFC middleweight world title he once held for 2,457 days.
He will face the spectacular young star Adesanya, a former world-class kickboxing ace who has transitioned to mixed martial arts and compiled a 15-0 record.
Now the pair will do battle in the co-main event in Melbourne with a shot at the UFC middleweight title awaiting the winner.
The scale of the event clearly had a big effect on 43-year-old Silva, who needed several seconds to compose himself before addressing the Melbourne crowd.
With tears in his eyes, he said: "Thank you, guys. I worked my entire life for this sport and I tried to do my best.
"I need to say thank you God for giving me one more time a great opportunity to give a great show for you guys.
"Thank you Australia, thank you Dana [White, UFC president]. Thank you so much."
"He's trying to make me cry! F**k him!" he laughed.
"Melbourne, what's up! Big shout out to everyone who paid [and] came through to from everywhere around the world to watch this show.
"And a special shoutout - he's trying to make me cry, for real! - to everyone from Auckland, that came through. I appreciate you."
And despite his coach labeling the Brazilian veteran "The Lance Armstrong of MMA" earlier in the week, Adesanya couldn't help himself from a final word of respect for Silva, who he vowed to send into retirement "in a nice way."
"Look, I'm a fan of this man, but just because I'm a fan, it doesn't mean he can't catch these hands! And elbows! And feet! And knees!" he said as the crowd roared their approval.
"Tomorrow we're going to throw everything in the cage. We're gonna have fun, alright? I'll send him off in a nice way. Let's go!"