Despite 'feeling 100-percent,' T.J. Grant still uncertain about UFC return

Prior to his first-ever Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC) title fight -- which was supposed to go down against Ben Henderson at UFC 164 in September of 2013 -- T.J. Grant was forced to withdraw after suffering a concussion during training.

Fast forward nearly two years later, and the man who was in line to fight for the strap may finally be inching closer to a return to the Octagon.

Of course, he still has to convince himself to give up his more secure job working in a potash mine in Saskatchewan, Canada in favor of a fighting career that doesn't pay him all that much and has a high-risk of injury; which means potentially going a long time without a paycheck.

Check out his statements to Leader Post (via Bloody Elbow):

"To be honest I haven't really worked a regular job since maybe 2005. Basically, I've gotta make a living. When you're injured it's one of those sports where you can live off what you made for a little bit but we don't make that much money so you have to go on to other things. I'm just taking care of myself and my family as best I can right now. I gave returning to fighting a real shot as far as living off of money I made, appearances and stuff, but it's a fighting sport. It's all about, ‘What have you done for me lately?' In my opinion I'm not done fighting. I feel 100-percent healthy. It's just there's a little bit of hesitation as far as returning to competition. In my heart I want to do it but I'm trying to be smart. I want to make the best decisions I can and make some money while doing it. When you've been through what I've been through you have to really take your time and come up with a battle plan. I also know that, in fighting, there are no guarantees. I have a life to live, I have a mortgage to pay, I have bills. Do I stop working, live off my credit in order to fight when I could get injured? There's a big risk-reward thing. I'm not ruling it out. I definitely love fighting. I want to do it but why not take a little break and let the rest of the world catch up (laughs)?"

Can't blame him for mulling it over once, or twice.

After all, while his push the pace attitude makes him a fan favorite and has earned him plenty of wins, it also leaves him open to receive more damage, another factor that's playing into T.J.'s big decision.

Before his layoff, Grant was riding high with a five-fight win streak since making the drop down to the 155-pound division, including back-to-back knockout victories against Matt Wiman and Gray Maynard.

But, should he decide to return to action, there is not telling how many bouts he'd have to win before he gets his championship fight back, something that's not lost on Grant. As it stands, T.J. is no longer on the rankings list due to inactivity. So, its safe to assume that he'd have to win a fight or three in order to get back in the mix.

Plus, he also has to see if coming back to a revamped sponsorship game is worth his time.