Melvin Guillard says he’ll be ready to step in and face Jim Miller on the UFC on Versus 5 card next month if needed

UFC lightweight star on the rise, Melvin Guillard has declared he’ll be ready to step up at short notice and face Jim Miller on the UFC on Versus 5 card next month if he’s needed, adding that fight would be the golden ticket to a shot at the title.
Speaking via Heavy.com, Guillard said:

“Its great and its kind of surreal. I know my potential, and I know what I can do in the cage. That’s being presented now because I have great coaches and a great team, and they push me. I have several different coaches and trainers for everything, and everybody comes together as one; I’m the finished product. It’s a humbling experience.”

“I’m happy to shut a lot of critics up that didn’t believe in me; that’s my motivation. That’s my drive. People telling me I can’t make it or expecting me to fail, that’s my drive, and I think that’s another reason why I’m doing so well now. I want to prove everybody wrong, and I want to prove to everybody that I can be a champion at 155.”

“As a fighter and being confident, you have to speak things into existence. I had no doubts in my mind that I could beat him. He was overmatched. He shouldn’t have even been in the ring with me, but I had to go in there and make a statement. My intentions with everybody is to go in there and knock them out. I don’t want to play around with anybody, and risk getting knocked out myself.”

Asked if he’d be ready to step in for Ben Henderson on the UFC on Versus 5 card next month should anything happen to the former WEC champion, Guillard said:

“I should be ready; it’s up to me to make sure I’m ready. That’s why I’m staying in camp, making sure that I keep on going, but don’t over-train. I don’t want to be burnt out; I want to just train consistently, but not too much.

“Whatever happens happens. I know that if the opportunity is presented to me, it’s going to be a blessing and I’m going to take it. It is what it is right now, man. It doesn’t matter who they put in front of me next. I want to fight the best guys, and I want to fight who they think will give me the best match-up.”

“I feel I deserve to be in [the title discussion], but I’m not one of those guys that’s going to press it, aggravate them and bother them. I’m going to sit back and let nature take its course. We just have to sit back and see what they’ve got in store for me next.”

Guillard is pushing hard for a crack at the title along with the likes of Jim Miller and Clay Guida at the top of the bottlenecked division. With the promotion still waiting to schedule the rubber match between Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard this trio may have to fight it out to determine a true number one contender at 155 pounds.
By Michael Pepper.