UFC welterweight Mickey Gall operates on a different level. 

The 4-0 fighter plans ahead at all times, always looking for the next step and the best possible way to transform something good into something great. 

It's a mindset that's paid dividends. While many fighters don't receive the call up to the UFC until they're 10 or more fights into their professional career, Gall stepped into the Octagon at just 1-0. Even better, he's already fought and defeated two of the sport's more popular figures — CM Punk and Sage Northcutt — giving Gall plenty of shine and attention along the way. 

To Gall, there's no secret behind this impressive launch. 

"I think I’m just smart. I get it," Gall told FloCombat. "I learned from guys like Jim Miller, Dan Miller. I came up with those guys. I learned. They’ve given me a lot of good advice. 

"This is a cool quote that I have from my coach, who is like my second father, David Adiv, he says, ‘A smart man learns from his own mistakes. A smarter man learns from others’ mistakes.’ So I learn from all these motherfu*ckers. When anybody takes a loss, I learn from them." 

Currently, Gall extends his education under the tutelage of Tristar head coach Firas Zahabi, the mastermind behind two of MMA's most technical and analytical fighters: Georges St-Pierre and Rory MacDonald. Training at Tristar for his UFC 217 scrap vs. Randy Brown on Nov. 4, Gall soaks in everything he can, and he believes he's developing at a rapid rate that will elevate him above his peers. 

Having last competed in December 2016, the New Jersey-born scrapper says we're all in for a completely new-look Mickey Gall come next weekend at Madison Square Garden. 

Credit: John David Mercer/USA TODAY Sports

"Look, I’m a young fighter," Gall said. "I’m 25. I’m 4-0 professionally. And I work hard as f*ck. There’s no way that someone can really work harder than me. So for me, one month, I’m taking in what guys are taking in in three months. Two months, now I just got six months better compared to typical UFC guys.

"You can talk about Octagon jitters or ring rust — that’s not me. I test myself every day. So I’m not worried about that. I always perform." 

Inside the cage, Gall has been flawless thus far, but it's perhaps outside the cage he's made an even bigger splash. Gall has served as a case study in self-marketing, dating back to his appearance on Dana White's "Looking For A Fight" reality show that earned Gall his UFC contract in the first place. 

There, Gall produced and distributed fan T-shirts, making him seem like a hugely loved and hyped local star for White and the crew when they rolled into town. Then, he took the mic and called out Punk, a massive star in the pro wrestling world looking to make a name in MMA.

Following his eventual victory at UFC 203 over Punk, Gall once again made the most of his time on the mic, blasting "corny" Sage Northcutt and earning an opportunity to face him inside the cage. 

In Gall's eyes, his penchant for picking foes has changed the sport of MMA entirely. He stirred up some dust in the MMA community for saying as much in a lengthy Instagram post recently, but Gall is sticking to his guns — albeit with a slight clarification. 

"I never said I invented the callout. But I’m 100 percent the reason why everyone’s calling people out right now," Gall said. "I brought that shit back. People saw what I did with it, and they’re like, ‘Oh, let me try!’ And for everyone else, it’s not working out so great. 

"I know I didn’t invent it. I know people have called people out before me. But I changed the culture. I changed it, and now it’s like you have to call people out. After (Tony) Ferguson won (the (interim UFC lightweight championship), he’s calling [Conor McGregor] McNuggets and shit. You know what I mean? Jon Jones wins, he’s calling out Brock Lesnar. People are calling people out online. I changed the culture for sure." 

The next step in Gall's journey comes against Brown, another "Looking For A Fight" product, at UFC 217, and the stage has never been bigger. 

Training with St-Pierre, MacDonald, ADCC champion Gordon Ryan, and numerous others at Tristar puts Gall's confidence an all-time high, and he envisions nothing but greatness when the lights power up and the cage door closes. 

"[It's] definitely [going to be] a win, violent and one-sided," Gall said. "He’s got tools, but a Randy Brown doesn’t beat a Mickey Gall. I got too many ways [to win]. Odds are, I’ll probably drop him and then either pound him out or strangle him. But who knows? Maybe he goes to sleep on a punch. 

"Jiu-jitsu’s my main art, that’s my bread and butter, that’s where I can beat anyone in the world. But I hit people, I get you dazed and confused, seeing tweety birds, then I strangle you. I give you a little concussion, a little head-rockin’, then I take the choke." 

And following the win? You better believe Gall has something planned for his moment with the microphone. 

"There’s going to be more to come," Gall said. "More shit’s going to happen. More shit will be revealed. I got a whole lot going on in this head, bro. I got some fun stuff, and it’s going to be good."