Ben Edwards laughs his partner Carly Nelson will be a bundle of nerves when she corners him during the biggest fight of his mixed martial arts career.
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But that is nothing compared to the butterflies he felt when he asked her those four words.
Edwards got the answer he was looking for when he popped the question along the Atlantic City Boardwalk.
Now he has another engagement to worry about.
Edwards (4-0) will be fighting on the world stage when he meets Francimar Barroso (23-7-1) in the Professional Fighters League in Atlantic City on Friday (AEST).
A win could take him one step closer to the $1.4million (AUD) prize on offer for the victor in the heavyweight tournament.
In his corner will be Carly, who is "nervous, just because she cares, but super helpful".
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And Denis Roberts - the grappling expert Edwards first met as a "big tall mother****er eating jelly beans, with cauliflower ears, at the Underground gym when I first started kickboxing training in 2003".
Back when Edwards was a kid that would soon fight on the world stage.
He now admits he was not quite ready, and words from UFC veteran Hector Lombard at the time suggest he was not alone in thinking that.
"He said to a friend of mine 'Ben is only a boy, but he is a man in the ring'. I took that as a compliment at the time, but now I understand what he meant," Edwards said.
"I was so naive in a lot of ways, just to the way of the world and I was taking things for granted. I have had a lot of ups and downs over the past couple of years, but I have honestly grown so much from it. I'm really enjoying the experience.
"It feels really weird. It doesn't feel like a normal fight camp, I'm just in such a good place. I'm so happy. It feels like such a positive camp, I've got such good people around me.
"It's so different to last time I competed overseas, the last couple of times. I'm just really, really enjoying it this time.
"Super keen to get in there and well and truly ready to go."
His bout with Barroso is in the final stage of the PFL regular season, during which fighters earn points for wins and early finishes.
The winner of a bout is awarded three points, with bonuses added for knockouts and submissions - three points for a finish in the first round, two points in the second round and one point if a stoppage comes in the third.
The top eight fighters in each of the men's division standings advance to the playoffs where they are then seeded for a single-elimination playoff bracket.
Edwards has to make a statement - an injury ultimately ruled him out of the first regular season round in a pool of 13 heavyweights.
An injury to the man he was originally supposed to face in that round - third-ranked Ante Delija - means Edwards has been given a second shot at forcing his way into the playoffs.
Quarter-final winners step back into the cage for a semi-final match on the same night in October. Fatigue and injuries be damned.
Winners advance to the championship match with $1 million on the line at Madison Square Garden's Hulu Theater in December.
"If I just win on points, it doesn't necessarily guarantee me a spot in the playoffs," Edwards said.
"The earlier you finish the fight, the more points you get. You never see me hanging in there for a decision, I'm always trying to finish the fight.
"It's what I always do, and that's what you'll see me doing."
PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE
Friday (AEST): PFL 6 - Heavyweight tournament at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Show starts at 9am.
How to watch: Ben Edwards will meet Francimar Barroso in the opening bout at PFL 6. You can tune in on the PFL app on on the PFL Youtube channel.
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
