(This story first appeared in Tuesday’s USA TODAY .) The moment UFC heavyweight  Ben Rothwell set foot inside the cage in Connecticut earlier this month, he knew something was different. At first, he thought it was all in his head. He suddenly felt more comfortable in the UFC’s octagon, more at home. Perhaps, he told himself, he was finally getting used to his surroundings after nearly five years and six fights with the organization. “I noticed right when I stepped in,” says Rothwell (34-9 MMA, 4-3 UFC), who scored a first-round TKO victory over former Strikeforce heavyweight champ Alistair Overeem at “UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Mousasi” that night.