His bout with Eddie Sanchez was part of UFC 72: Victory, the Ultimate Fighting Championship's latest offering on pay-per-view television, screened in numerous countries around the world. And although he was ultimately unsuccessful - losing via TKO in the second round - Robinson maintains that the fight was a tremendous experience.

"It really was a dream come true," Robinson told Local Heroes. "I arrived in the building at 3pm, and didn't leave the dressing area until it was time for my bout, so I really wasn't sure what to expect. But the reception I got was incredible. It was a feeling I'm not likely to have again."

Robinson is a late-comer to mixed martial arts, the name of the sport that the UFC promotes. Now 39-years old, he first began training in 2003, after spending more than 10 years in boxing. For him, it was an eye-opening experience.

"I first went to an MMA training session with a friend of mine," he said. "I thought that I was going to go down there and show these guys how to really fight, but instead, when I wasn't able to use my boxing skills, they were tying me up in knots with wrestling-type holds."

"But that clinching sort of style was something I got used to very quickly. Without ever competing, I'd always been a strong wrestler, and now, it's a technique that I'm able to utilise, too. I'm more than capable of getting a win by taking a fight to the ground."

Indeed, Robinson's first three MMA bouts, all held locally, ended with wins conceived in this manner. Just two years later, the UFC was knocking on his door.

"It was great to know that the UFC were interested in offering me a contract," Robinson continued. "At the time, they were looking into holding a show somewhere in Ireland, but even so, I was a little surprised that I was on their short-list.

"All I ever used to dream of was winning a professional title in boxing. But with this, I had to pinch myself. It was an incredible opportunity."

The 6ft 4in, 17 stone "Big C" has recently been in training for his next UFC encounter, with kickboxing specialist Antoni Hardonk, on Saturday in Newcastle, England. Robinson is confident of victory, having learned from the experience of Belfast.

"I learned a lot in that fight," he admitted. "The main lesson I took from it was that you don't have to be nervous to be over-excited. I wasn't nervous in Belfast, but I was definitely over-excited. I didn't relax, and didn't pick my punches in the way that I usually do. Because of that, I was tiring quickly by the end of the first five-minute round."

Though he isn't looking past his opponent on Saturday, Robinson has several future ambitions, that he would like to accomplish under the auspices of the UFC.

"The first thing that I'd like to do is make the pay-per-view TV bill," he said. " I was told that my bout at the Odyssey was the second best bout of the night, so if I can have an exciting fight again, I hope to be on the live TV show next time around. Aside from that, I'd love to fight in America, where the UFC is even bigger than it is here."

Concluding, Robinson wished to send out a thank you to all of the fans who have supported him thus far.

"The fans' support has been tremendous, and it is great to have that," he said. "After Belfast, all of the UFC guys were saying how the sheer volume of the Odyssey crowd was unlike anything they'd experienced before, even back in the States. Because of the fans, I'm sure the UFC will be back to the Odyssey sooner rather than later."

When that day comes, hopefully Robinson will be part of the action, too.