Bigger Country: A 'buff' Roy Nelson guarantees he'll make 205-pounds ... 'someday'

Fight fans getting a glimpse of Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 10 Champion Roy Nelson at this past weekend's UFC on Versus 5 event had plenty to talk about.

"Big Country" was there to support British "Outlaw" Dan Hardy in the Aug. 14 main event against Chris Lytle, but found himself the focal point of nosy reporters thanks to a bushy beard and noticeably smaller midsection.

Just don't call him "slimmer."

Nelson, despite a case of walking pneumonia, came under fire for huffing and puffing his way through his UFC 130 co-main event against Frank Mir over the Memorial Day Weekend, a unanimous decision loss that was his second straight against the upper echelon of the division.

His philosophy? Don't get mad, get "buff."

"I'm not slimmer. I'm just buff," Nelson told Heavy.com. "I don't want to call it a diet program I'm working on. I think it is more of a lifestyle change, so I'll call it my new coaching program. Diet is the wrong word because if you look at the first three letters of the word it spells 'die' and that's what it feels like ... I'm going to make 205 someday. Mark my words I will at some point be 205 lb. I might be dead, get old and lose some muscle mass or in a car accident where I lose one of my legs but I will hit that weight somewhere along the line. I can guarantee that I will reach that weight but it may come under some drastic circumstances. I like the fact that people are talking about me 'supposedly' losing weight because it means that people care about me. That means that people love me and who doesn't want to feel that from the fans? I will say if I do lose weight then it will be on my terms and from a program that I'm responsible for developing or develop."

Nelson, who's managed to perform at an elite level despite his prodigious girth, was lambasted by promotion president Dana White at the UFC 130 post-fight press conference, who indicated it would be in the burger "King's" best interest to lose his trademarked belly.

Whether or not he makes the trip to light heavyweight remains to be seen, but if and when he does, it sounds like it's going to be on his terms.

Anyone think he's still good enough to compete against the division's best? Or is his future at 205-pounds -- and nowhere else?

Thoughts?