Tarec Saffiedine (15-3 MMA, 1-0 UFC) is back in the gym and itching for a fight, and he’s got a name in mind: Rory MacDonald (17-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC).

“I was in Belgium when I watched the fight with Rory and Tyron Woodley,” Saffiedine told MMAjunkie. “While I was watching the fight, I had that feeling, you know, the goosebumps. The way he was moving, the way he was punching, the way he was setting up his takedowns, the way he was moving inside the cage, the way he was moving his feet – everything he did, I was thinking, ‘I can beat this guy.’

“With the proper camp and me doing everything I need to do, I know I can beat that guy. He’s close to the title shot, so it’s a fight I’d love to have. I think we can put on an amazing fight, and I believe that my style can beat his style, without a doubt.”

Saffiedine is currently an honorable mention in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA welterweight rankings, but it’s not necessarily a full testament to his skills. He’d no doubt be a competitive matchup for anyone in the top-15, but inactivity has slowed his rise up the ranks.

Most recently, he was expected to face Jake Ellenberger at April’s UFC 172 event, but Saffiedine was forced to withdraw from the contest. It was the second time a proposed bout between the two fell through, and Saffiedine believes it’s not worth trying to schedule again.

“I guess that fight with Jake will never happen,” Saffiedine said. “I guess we just have bad luck around that fight. I don’t want to talk too much about the specifics of the injury that I had to treat, but it was something that could affect me long-term, even post-career, so I had to be very careful.

“I took two or three months off, two or three months of seeing doctors and doing physical therapy and visiting the chiropractor and everything that I needed to do. I even went back home to Belgium to receive some second opinions and third opinions to really make sure that I am good to go and I can go slowly back to training. Now I feel good. I’ve been back training for about two weeks, and I’m feeling great. I’m not in shape yet, but I’m feeling great.”

Saffiedine said his main focus right now is getting back into fight shape, but he’s ready to sign a bout agreement and step into a full camp.

“I’m trying to get a fight around September,” Saffiedine said. “That would give me a little bit of time to get back in shape before starting camp. I don’t want to go just right away into camp. I’d like to get back into the shape you need to be before camp. I’d love to have a camp of six or seven weeks for my next fight, and so that’s why I’m hoping to fight in September.”

And if the UFC is up for it, Saffiedine would like to volunteer to face MacDonald, who in June stymied a very tough Tyron Woodley. The 24-year-old Canadian is currently 7-1 in his past eight fights, with the lone loss in that stretch coming to top contender Robbie Lawler. Along the way, he’s looked fantastic in wins over Woodley, Demian Maia, Ellenberger and B.J. Penn, among others.

Saffiedine believes his style would be perfect to address MacDonald’s strengths, who often seems to simply shut down his opponents.

“I don’t think the guys had bad nights,” Saffiedine said. “Maybe they just gave him too much respect. When Robbie Lawler fought Rory, he didn’t give him any respect. He just ran right through him. You cannot give your opponent respect, and you also have to be a little bit of a step ahead. If you let him be comfortable in his standup like Jake and Tyron did, he’s going to sit on his punches.

“He has a great jab, good technique. If you let him have his space and execute his gameplan, that’s when you have trouble. That’s what happened to Jake and Tyron, and it’s not going to happen if we fight.”

Whether or not Saffiedine gets the fight he wants or not remains to be seen, but we will be back in action soon. And the man who left Strikeforce as the promotion’s final welterweight champion is ready to make a serious run at the UFC title, too.

“I want to get to the top,” Saffiedine said. “Fighting Rory would be a big step up, but it’s a step I’m ready for. I’m anxious for this opportunity because I want to show the fans and the UFC that I’m ready to take that step. I need to beat Rory. I would train my butt off and win that fight and move up the ranks. I want to get that title shot.

“I really appreciate all the support from the fans. They supported me through these injuries and I really appreciate it. Hopefully I’ll be fighting in September.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.