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Jimi Manuwa has been storming his way up the light heavyweight ladder and leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.



The heavy-handed Brit has been well established as one of the most devastating punchers in the 205-pound fold, but his past six months has signaled to Manuwa becoming a legitimate contender in the UFC's light heavyweight division. "Poster Boy" has scored back-to-back destructions over Ovince Saint-Preux and Corey Anderson, both of which earned Manuwa some extra money in the form of "Performance of the Night" bonuses.



The 37-year-old All Stars representative's drubbing of Anderson not only carved out Manuwa's place in the division's upper tier, but put him within striking distance of a title shot against current champion Daniel Cormier. Since his victory over the Illinois native Manuwa has been campaigning for a shot at championship gold, and while he knows the return of pound-for-pound great Jon Jones could throw a wrench in those works for the time being, the feared knockout artist is more than happy to put another top-ranked light heavyweight to sleep in the interim.



During a recent visit to Top Turtle MMA Podcast, the surging contender spoke to David Tramonte and Daniel "Gumby" Vreeland about his current situation in the light heavyweight title hunt and much more.



Daniel Cormier potentially fighting Jon Jones next

“I wanted to fight against D.C., and I still want to fight against D.C., but you can’t complain if Jon gets the fight. He’s an all-time great fighter in the UFC so I don’t really mind. If I have to knock one more person out to get the fight then so be it. I know the belt is definitely coming my way and it’s going to be this year.



“Whoever they pull out of the bag. I’m ready to put work in against any of the top light heavyweights. Any of them. They have to be top five though so let’s see what the UFC comes up with and I’ll them on my hit list. I’ll train for them, I’ll starch him and put in another devastating knockout on him."



A potential bout against Anderson Silva

“Yeah….one hundred percent. Who wouldn’t want to fight Anderson Silva? He’s great and probably my favorite fighter and that, but if he has to get it he has to get it. I’m not counting anyone out. I’d definitely be up for that."



The current trend of trash-talking to get big fights

“All these fighters are just talking and talking. I just want to fight and knock people out. I’m not into this talking and trash-talking and this, that and the other. This WWE sh*t you know? I just want to fight and my fighting speaks for itself. I’ve been to a decision once in my whole career. I’ve got seventeen wins and sixteen knockouts. How can I not be qualified?



“I’ve knocked out Ovince Saint-Preux. I’ve knocked out...I wanted to fight [Glover] Teixeira. Teixeira turned the fight down so I don’t know what he’s talking about. Let’s not even go there. My brother Alexander Gustafsson is going to f*cking maul him in Stockholm so he can get to the back of the line after that.



“I believe my time is now, and I believe these people know it as well. These top light heavyweights know it as well.



“I talk facts I don’t talk sh*t. I don’t talk to try to get the fans or get pay-per-view points. I knock people out and I’m an exciting fighter. I don’t take people down and lay on people and have the crowd booing. I knock people out and get the crowd and fans excited. My fighting speaks for itself."



The ongoing beef with Cormier

“D.C. started trying to trash talking and sh*t like that, but he knew what was going on backstage when we met face to face and he didn’t have a lot to say. I don’t do the talking thing I do the fighting thing.



“He tried to make a joke with Kamaru Usman, who I was talking to. He was about ten feet away and he asked Usman to feel me and see if I felt strong and I told him why don’t he come over and talk for himself. I told him, ‘This ain’t no big brother sh*t,’ where like what he was doing with Anthony Johnson. We are from London and I punch people in the face if they disrespect us.



“He knew I wasn’t up for any of that smack-talk. That was that, but you know what? D.C. is a great fighter, and I respect him as a champion, but if we are going to fight we are going to fight. There’s no two ways about it."

