Last time out you were very impressive in your demolition of Pete Sell. Many people remember that fight for the late stoppage, but what was impressive was the way in which you mixed up your striking with head kicks, knees, a superman punch, accurate boxing, and kept him on the back foot from the off. Should we expect such a fast start this time out or a more methodical approach for someone who maybe has a few more tools at their disposal?

You’ll have to tune in to Spike TV on November 14 to see the answer to that question.

You’re now 3 and 1, and a disputed 1, in the UFC, however someone looking at a 12 and 7 overall record may be lulled into thinking you’re not a top level competitor in this division. Many would see you as one of the most improved fighters on the UFC roster, how far would you say you’ve come as a fighter since TUF?

I’ve improved leaps and bounds since TUF. I’ve trained at many different places, tested myself against some of the best in the world, and trained harder and smarter than ever before. Records in mma don’t always tell the whole story (Couture is 16-10 I think). I make no excuses for my record, I just hope to show that I am better than what my record shows.

You trained previously at Matt Hume’s camp with Rich Franklin and Jorge Gurgel amongst others, but now I understand you’ve shifted to Vegas and Warrior Training Centre with Forrest Griffin and former foe Dong Hyun Kim?

I live in Vegas and train at many gyms there including Warrior, Legion BJJ, Wand’s, PSI, etc. This camp I did in Seattle with Matt Hume at AMC. AMC is the best place to get prepared for a fight and Hume is the best coach in mma. Vegas is the best place to learn, improve skills, and train with great guys. Kim came here to train for his fight against Karo Parisyan. I like training at lots of different places to keep me sharp and keep my skills guessing. Certain techniques may work great at one school but another school has many answers for it. This way you learn what truly works and how to execute it against any opponent.

Have you brought in anyone to mimic Wilks’ style?

My training partners at AMC are very good and are good at mimicking other styles. I didn’t necessarily need to bring someone special in, but I got guys that mimic Wilks for sure.

Are you a fighter who trains according to his opponent and their weaknesses, or do you keep a similar camp each time – fine tuning your own skills?

I definitely train according to my opponent’s strengths and weaknesses, but it’s more like making my style work against their style. My camp is still pretty much the same it’s just a matter of taking advantage of the opportunities that may be presented during a fight. One or two missed opportunities can be the difference between winning and losing or a fight going to a decision. We’ve all seen questionable judging in mma 100 times so decisions are very scary. I train to finish. Doesn’t always work that way but that is my full intention.

I think fans like to see match-ups between different TUF cast members as it allows them to almost compare the quality of each individual Season. Many fans have said that they thought Season 9, which Wilks won, was one of the weakest in terms of standard – what did you think?

It’s really easy to sit on our couches at home and judge how good or bad these fighters are. When it comes down to it we really don’t know though. Every season has its share of guys that are in no way UFC calibre and never will be. Every season also has its guys that seem to do well. The fact is Wilks went through the show without losing, won on the finale, and wants to beat me. So to me, it doesn’t matter how good or bad the guys are that he beat. The only thing that matters to me is me beating him. Even if he beat a bunch of scrubs that had no business being anywhere near the UFC, that doesn’t make him any less dangerous to me. I also think Wilks is a lot better than people give him credit for. I didn’t realize it watching the show, but when you look at credentials I think he has a lot more to offer than what he has previously shown.

You’ve said previously that nothing prepares you for the cameras, media attention etc. come fight time. With Wilks having only the one UFC fight under his belt and fighting in front of his home crowd do you think you may have an important edge in terms of experience?

It’s hard to say. Some guys react well and thrive under pressure. Some guys break under the pressure. Wilks seems to have a good head on his shoulders and seems pretty well composed. I don’t expect him to break from the pressure of the lights and media, I expect him to break from my fighting style.

Wilks has said that you’re very similar fighters but that his striking is ‘a little crisper and more technical’ and that he also possesses ‘a wider array of submissions on the ground’. I’d imagine you’d have the same assertions about your own game compared to his?

I agree with him. He’s probably a little more technical, he surely has a wider array of subs on the ground. We’ll see what all that does for him in the fight.

Your popularity as a fighter was no less evident than when fans reached out to you with letters and donations for your late father’s fund recently. Does this whole episode empower you to go on to greater things?

It definitely inspires me that these people are not only fans of mine, but they enjoy what I do so much that they would reach out a helping hand during a time of need for me. I wish I could do more in return, but I guess all they want out of me is to work my ass off keep fighting hard and put on good show. Fortunately, I can do that!

For a fight overseas like this, how soon do you look to fly in order to get past the jetlag and settle in etc? Do you give yourself the opportunity to train at a local gym then in order to keep things ticking over up until the fight?

I’m flying in on Monday before the fight and getting there Tuesday. I’ll train at the UFC’s training room at the hotel. I’ll be ready, don’t worry about that.

Finally, good luck with the fight, is there anyone you’d like to thank?

I wish I had time to thank everyone that deserves my thank you’s, but I would surely leave someone out. Those that have helped me, supported me and been there for me know who they are. I am as grateful as I can be to everyone, but there are so many sometimes people surely get overlooked. For this, I apologize; just remember you are not forgotten.