Lee is now aiming to compile a healthy unbeaten streak to cement his title ambitions after his maiden UFC success, which earned him the 'Submission of the Night' award in Tokyo.

After being rocked in the opening round, Lee responded brilliantly by stunning the Japanese star with a flurry of his own, before sealing victory with an 'armbar' submission.

Now the Birmingham-born fighter is targeting a winning run to put him into contention to enter the top 10 rankings and to achieve the ultimate goal of being the first British fighter to win a UFC crown.

He exclusively told Sky Sports: "My main goals are to keep healthy and injury free over the next 12 months and continue to put together a winning streak in the UFC, and get into the top 10 ranking within the bantamweight division as quick as possible.

"It's important for me to build my profile up within the UFC and winning ensures that fans, friends and potential sponsors are kept happy.

"It's my duty to showcase my skills and be the best that I can be in the UFC bantamweight division."

Underdog

Lee was a big underdog with the bookies in the build-up to the bout, but he insists his preparation and self-belief carried him through a potentially dangerous bout , which was his first clash outside his home country.

He continued: "It was an unbelievable experience, I knew that I had to take my preparation both mentally, and physically, to the highest level of my career so far in order to win the fight.

"My fight camp was absolutely fantastic, we have been working very hard on the cardio and nutritional side of my training, so going into the fight I felt very strong indeed, and new that I could give 100 per cent for the full 15 minutes if I was required to go the distance.

"With Yamamoto going the full distance in his last two fights, I knew that this may have been a major factor in the fight."

He added: "As we all know now my cardio never got tested as it was a first-round submission win, so I was absolutely over the moon, and to be representing Britain on such a memorable card and bringing home the win was a dream come true."

"It just shows the world what I am capable of doing, I took Kid Yamamoto's best shots and it didn't faze me at all, I could have finished him with strikes as I clearly rocked him when I put together a four strike combination just before the armbar submission on the ground."

Impact

Little-known outside the UK before his UFC debut at UFC 138 last November, Lee is now reaping the rewards of a highly-acclaimed victory in Tokyo.

Lee has earned a number of new fans on both sides of the Atlantic with his spectacular win, and is now prepared to face anybody that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva throws at him.

He beamed: "Everyone has been talking about the fight non-stop since I've arrived back from Japan, there has even been talk on the American MMA website forums saying it's one of, if not the biggest, British fighter wins to date in the UFC!

"It's only just sinking in now how big the win was, not only to beat him in his home country of Japan but to get a submission on Kid Yamamoto, who hasn't been submitted in 11 years is just incredible, and to get submission of the night on such a quality filled card is a career defining moment."

"So it's all a bit surreal, but I enjoy the limelight and hopefully this shall be the platform for some more memorable wins in the future, whilst getting to the top of the bantamweight division."

He concluded: "I'm happy to fight pretty much anyone the UFC asks me to fight, there are no easy fights in the UFC.

"The fighters that are in the organisation are there because they are classed as the best athletes in the sport today, I'm happy to be fighting for the UFC and keeping busy within the organisation against whoever they match me up with next."