UFC 132: "Cruz vs. Faber" last night (July 2) in Las Vegas, Nevada, featured four explosive knockouts, all easy contenders to win the coveted "Knockout of the Night" bonus.
One of them was Melvin Guillard's bumrushing Shane Roller and knocking him into next week.
And while the post-fight award went to his teammate, Carlos Condit, "The Young Assassin" still made the statement he was out to make -- he's a force to be reckoned with at 155-pounds.
That's why he took the opportunity to use his freshly won clout to call out a certain lightweight top contender who is on the cusp of a chance at the division throne.
Guillard says he's patient and will wait for his title shot but he knows the fight he needs to get -- and win -- to push him over the top, as told to MMA Heat:
"I don't know (where I am in line for the title), it's up in the air. I don't really pay attention to the rankings all the time. I thought things were going to blow up after I knocked out Evan Dunham. And then stuff kind of got quiet. Everything was good tonight but when they got another UFC next week and then another lightweight goes and do something spectacular, you guys are going to forget about what happened tonight. It's all about what happens in that moment. So next week somebody else is going to deserve to be right up there. It doesn't matter, whenever I get my shot, I'll get it. I'm patient. Jim Miller, definitely, that's the fight I want. That's a fight I need to get. I need him to stay undefeated, though, for me to fight him."
He may say he doesn't care about rankings but not more than two weeks ago, he was harping on his placement in the division and how he felt his win over Evan Dunham should have moved him up a lot higher than it did.
That's why he wanted to go out and make quick work of Roller.
He's now won eight of his last nine bouts, the last two coming by way of sleepy time knockout. Still, it likely won't be enough to even move him into the top five of the lightweight division.
And that's where Miller comes in. If he can get past Ben Henderson at UFC on Versus 5 on Aug. 14, Guillard wants to tussle with the AMA Fight Club member to determine a true number one contender.
Anyone else on board?