UFC Welterweight Champion Matt Serra feels like he will be ready to return to action in April, according to the Canadian Press.
"The Terror" has been sidelined with a back injury that he sustained training for a showdown with Matt Hughes at UFC 79: "Nemesis" on December 29, 2007. Georges St. Pierre stepped up at the last minute and submitted Hughes via armbar to earn the interim 170-pound strap.
In doing so "Rush" also earned the right to challenge Serra for the undisputed welterweight championship ... possibly on his home turf in Montreal, Canada.
Here's a snip from Serra on the possible scenario:
"I'm definitely up for that.... I've got to be realistic. I don't know what they're going to do. I feel like I'm friendly with everybody but business is business and who knows? I know they like Georges, it's not that they don't like me but I don't know. He might be more of a better poster boy. Who knows? ... just put the little Italian guy in Canada. That's me. I like it, I like it, man. I take no offence at people in Canada yelling for me to die."
If that match up does take place north of the U.S. border it wouldn't be the first time the UFC pitted a champion against a hometown favorite challenger.
In fact, UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva recently waded onto "Hostile Territory" to defend his 185-pound crown against Rich Franklin at UFC 77.
He won.
Serra, however, will have roles reversed this time around. His last time out, which was in April 2007, he waited for St. Pierre to recover from an injury. That extra time helped him to prepare and pull off one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts (MMA) history.
It's safe to say (barring a setback in either camp) that he will not be afforded the same luxury this April. What's different this time around is confidence in knowing that he can win.
And in that respect perhaps not much has changed.
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