And probably the most confident.
Streaking lightweight striker Melvin Guillard will get another chance to prove he belongs in the upper echelon of the 155-pound division when he attempts to stuff the wrestling prowess of WEC import Shane Roller at UFC 132: "Cruz vs. Faber 2" tomorrow night (July 2) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
How close is "The Young Assassin" to a title fight?
A dull decision win over Jeremy Stephens left many wondering whether he had adopted a "play-it-safe" approach, but the 'Nawlins native put those worries to rest by putting his stamp all over Evan Dunham in the UFC "Fight for the Troops 2" main event back in January.
The upset win (his fourth straight) over the highly-touted prospect had Guillard calling for his shot at the belt. He'll get the opportunity to prove he means it when he takes on the gritty three-time All-American wrestler.
He'll also have to prove he can back up the following statement to NOLA.com:
"Every fight is a title fight in the UFC. Every victory is important, because you want to have job security. I always need to put on a good show and win so the next time I will get a phone call to fight again. That's my mindset. I'm not going to call out any names, but there aren't any finishers like me. I usually end my fights in the first or second round. I am the fastest athlete, the best striker and the best finisher in my weight class. I have to beat Shane Roller to make a statement."
Standing in his way is Roller, who pulled a Cheick Kongo earlier this year at UFC on Versus 3, getting badly outworked by Thiago Tavares for six straight minutes before flooring the Brazilian with a wicked one-two combination that stopped the fight on a dime.
The Team Takedown product is on a roll since a submission loss to the last man to hold the WEC lightweight title, Anthony Pettis, winning five consecutive fights. Despite his rich wrestling pedigree, Roller knows how to finish fights, notching nine stoppages among his 10 career wins.
Guillard and Roller are both coming off of "Knockout of the Night" performances.
We know "The Young Assassin" can talk the talk -- but can he walk the walk?
See you in "Sin City."