UFC 148: After earning his way back into the UFC, Patrick Cote looking for the knockout against Cung Le

After getting the call to fill the void at UFC 148 left by Rich Franklin, who replaced the injured Vitor Belfort against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147, Patrick Cote is ready to step back into the Octagon in what will be his fourth stint with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and will be fight number 12 with the world's leading mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion.

Following three consecutive losses to 185-pound champion Anderson Silva, Alan Belcher and Tom Lawlor, "The Predator" was axed from the UFC and soon found himself fighting in smaller organizations in his home country of Canada in hopes of one day making it back to the big show.

Four straight victories, one Belfort broken hand and some reshuffling of fights later, Cote is once again fighting under the brightest lights of them all.

First up for Cote is the Sanshou specialist Cung Le at UFC 148 on July 7, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, on a card that is headlined by one of the most-anticipated rematches of all time between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen in a middleweight title fight.

The Canadian striker (via MMA Fighting) says that now he is back where he has always wanted to be, he will do his best to hold his place in the UFC and if you ask him, he has earned his chance to get back into the Octagon, unlike some fighters who want to "beg" their way back.

Check it out:

"I kept those comments inside me for a long time. I was like, "Man, how can you beg the biggest organization in the world to get back in?" You can't do that, you know? The only thing you have to do is fight and win fights. That's what I did. I went to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the Amazon forest to fight Gustavo Machado. That was kind of a crazy life experience. But, you know what, I went there because I knew I had to. I won in the first round so I am back in the UFC now. You don't need to beg. You have to go where you have to go and do what you have to do and win fights and that's it."

"The Predator" gave his thoughts on the upcoming exciting fight against Cung Le in "Sin City:"

"I didn't expect to be back on the biggest card of the year against Cung Le, a tough guy like that and especially on a big fight like that. I'm just happy, to be back in this kind of situation it's a bonus for me. I think it's going to be very spectacular. We both like to bang and he is a southpaw. We know that a regular guy against a southpaw guy is always fireworks. It's going to be a very nice fight. I can't wait to show a lot my wrestling, a lot my game. It's MMA, but my style is a striker and my goal is to knock him out for sure, but, now I am more concerned about the game and more concerned about what I have to do to win the fight. But, I don't want to go there to just win the fight. I need to make a statement and I will probably stay on my feet and knock him out."

Stay on your feet against Le, and he will more than likely comply and gladly exchange strikes with you.

After coming up short against Wanderlei Silva at UFC 139, Cung hopes to get back into the win column by proving his striking game is superior than Cote's, though Patrick has proven he can stand and bang with the big boys, as well.

Anyone here feel Cote is in over his head if he indeed stays on his feet against the dangerous striker Le? Or will "The Predator" prove that he does indeed belong on the UFC's roster by handing the kickboxing expert his second straight loss?

Opinions, please.