So what did Matt Mitrione think of oddsmakers pegging him as the favorite to win the Bellator heavyweight grand prix? That they got it right.

“I should be the favorite,” Mitrione told MMAjunkie. “I think I’m one of the best heavyweights in the world in any promotion, and I think I’m really coming into my own stride now, so that’s kind of how I feel. It didn’t surprise me at all. I think everyone else is pretty damn solid; I just think I’m a little bit better.”

Mitrione currently sits No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings, the highest position of any Bellator heavyweight.

Unbeaten in three appearances under the Bellator banner, Mitrione was already expected to contend for the promotion’s vacant heavyweight tile, and he admitted he was a little frustrated when he was first presented with the idea of entering a yearlong eight-man grand prix to earn that belt.

“I didn’t think it made sense for the position I had earned to be put into a tournament,” Mitrione said. “I had earned for my next fight to be a title shot, and then I have three more fights to get back to a title shot. I didn’t think it made sense, and that’s what I was wary of, and that’s why I didn’t say yes at first.”

Mitione (12-5 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) ultimately relented, and he now faces Roy Nelson (23-14 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) in an opening round matchup that headlines Bellator 194 on Feb. 16 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The contest closes out the night’s Paramount-broadcast main card following prelims on MMAjunkie.

For Mitrione, the fight serves as an opportunity to avenge a 2012 loss to fellow “TUF 10” cast member Nelson on the live finale of “The Ultimate Fighter 16,” but “Meathead” insisted the idea of revenge isn’t playing any role in his mindset right now.

“I feel that right now, in 2018, that I am improved to a point where I even surprise myself at times,” Mitrione said. “‘Wow, you know what? You’re pretty damn slick.’

“It’s not even wth my knockout over Fedor (Emelianenko). It’s just overall, my patience, my decision making, my peace of mind when I’m fighting, right? The things that I see – my setups are working. Everything that I’m doing, I see it, and I just feel that it’s my time. That’s all. I just feel that it’s my time.”

To hear more from Mitrione, check out the video above.

And for more on Bellator 194, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.