When the UFC called David Galera, the unknown fighter thought, ‘Why me?’

SINGAPORE – David Galera admits he wasn’t expecting a call from the UFC. And when it came, he also admits he wasn’t quite sure how to handle the offer.

“I was thinking a lot that night,” Galera told MMAjunkie. “I was like, ‘Why me?’”

Galera (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who was born in California but now resides in the Philippines, was tapped for a slot on Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 34 preliminary card, which takes place at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The entire event streams on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s recently launched digital network.

Just two years into his professional career, Galera admits he wasn’t expecting the world’s biggest MMA promotion to give him a shot. But once he got over the shock, he realized the enormity of the opportunity.

“I have a lot of teammates that are 10 times better than me, but I figured I must be here for a reason,” Galera said. “The next day, I went straight to the gym, geared up, and focused on training. I just trained, trained, trained.”

But Galera’s UFC opportunity came with more exposure than most. He’s booked against fellow bantamweight Royston Wee (2-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC), Singapore’s first UFC fighter. As a means of marketing the event to the local crowd, the matchup is featured on all of the promotional materials distributed in Singapore. In short, Galera’s job is to play the bad guy.

“It adds a little pressure, but we’ve been working on this for a long time, so you get used to it,” Galera said. “I love being the underdog. It’s a lot easier for me to relax. It doesn’t really matter if they boo me. It’s just a sport.”

Galera’s five career wins have all come by stoppage, including four first-round finishes. He has yet to face a proven veteran but appears to at least boast some promise as a prospect.

On Saturday, he aims to prove that as surprising as the UFC offer was, it was absolutely given to the right fighter.

“To tell the truth, it was a surprise for me,” Galera said. “I never thought it could come to this position. This is big time.

“But right now, this is my career. I have to take one step at a time and not think about anything else.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 34, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.