Mike Swick ready to test himself against the best the UFC has to offer (Exclusive)

Going into his fight with Ben Saunders at UFC 99: "The Comeback" on June 13, Mike Swick was looking to make a statement. "Quick" wasn’t looking past "Killa-B" by any stretch of the imagination, but he wanted people to know that he was here to stay and that he was very much a real threat to any contender in the welterweight division.

Mission accomplished.

With another win in the books and an outstanding 9-1 record in the UFC, Swick can now begin to look ahead in his quest for welterweight supremacy. Swick himself is the first to admit that he needs to work on his game and defeat some higher level opponents -- but also doesn't diminish the toughness of Saunders.

"He came at me the way I expected, I was a little thrown off by the way he held me on the ground for the majority of the first round. With that being said he has a bright future, he is a tough dude and he will be around here for a long time."

Swick's place in the welterweight division may very well be determined by his next opponent. In addition to the old guard, there has been a recent influx of new blood with guys like Martin Kampmann and Carlos Condit also gunning for the top spot.

And that's fine with Swick -- so long as he doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

"I truly hope to be in the mix, I want to test myself against the best the UFC has to offer. My next fight I want a big fight something to catapult me to the top. I’ll fight anyone they put in front of me but fighting guys like GSP, Thiago Alves or Matt Hughes would work for me."

The division is currently ruled by uber champion Georges St. Pierre. At UFC 100 on July 11, "Rush" must defend his title against Thiago "Pitbull" Alves. Most fans have a pretty hard and fast stance on which fighter is the more dangerous opponent, but to Swick, it's all the same.

"At this point it doesn’t matter to me who wins, both fighters are at the top of their game. I would love to fight either one of them."

Of course no fighter can seriously contend for the UFC welterweight championship without having to face a fighter from American Kickboxing Academy (AKA). After all, two of it's top stars Jon Fitch and Josh Koscheck, are both in the current title picture. Fighting a fellow AKA teammate is a bridge that Swick will cross if and when it comes.

"Right now it is the furthest things from our minds, we just don’t think about it at the moment. When the time comes we will have to deal with it, for now we are happy being training partners and helping one another prepare for each other’s fights."

Not long after his June 13 drubbing of Ben Saunders, Swick made sure he was ringside to support another AKA standout when heavyweight blue-chip prospect Cain Velasquez faced the stiffest test to date against the frightening Frenchman Cheick Kongo.

Despite a shaky start, Swick liked what he saw.

"I think he did good, he dominated Kongo. He himself was very disappointed but he is so young and so early in his career. People have to remember that this was only his sixth professional fight! He is going to do huge things in the next year."

While Swick continues to look towards the future, there is no doubt that some of his detractors still look to the past. Specifically the knockout loss to Chris Leben back in 2004 prior to their stint on The Ultimate Fighter -- which "The Crippler" used to get under his skin throughout the duration of the show and beyond.

Ancient history as far as Swick is concerned.

"I don’t even think about it anymore. He has nothing to do with my career and where I am at now. We are on completely different paths and I certainly feel I don’t have anything to prove by fighting him anymore. He had a chance to fight me in a main event a few years back and he turned it down. I washed my hands of him a long time ago."

A mature and focused Swick is unquestionably a force to be reckonend with. The Texas native is in his prime and hitting his stride and with one fight left on his current contract, it could be the most important of his career.

"I will continue to fight as long as I am able to perform at my best. Right now I have one fight left on my current contract and I will see what happens after that. I love training and I love to fight so as long as my body holds up and I can be competitive, I will keep going."

With another win in the books and a bright future ahead of him, Swick has a lot to look forward to and a lot of people to thank for helping him get where he is today.

"I really want to thank my sponsors. From Dethrone Royalty, OakGrove, Micro-Tech, Toe2Toe, Sprawl, Score Clinic to Combat Life, each and every one of them has helped me in one way or another. Last but not least there are my fans, their support means a great deal to me and I would really like to thank them all."

For more on what’s going on in Swickville check out Mikeswick.com as well as his twitter, MySpace and YouTube profiles. Each one is linked up with his website.

For more on all the great UFC 99 action click here.