Melvin Guillard has 50 professional fights on his record dating back to his November 2002 debut. If you ask him, he’s participated in even more than that. Despite the mileage, however, Guillard has no intention of winding down his career.

Guillard (32-14-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has an undying passion to trade fisticuffs. He claims he got in his first fight at 13 then proceeded to spend the better part of two decades turning fighting into a career.

“The Young Assassin,” now 32, is best known for his lengthy UFC tenure that last more than eight years and 22 fights He’s now with Bellator MMA, though, and as he waits to make his August debut with the organization, Guillard said he doesn’t see his career as nearing its end.

In fact, he views his recent signing with Bellator as a fresh start where he can fight until his ideal retirement age of 42 to 45.

“I want to get myself set for retirement and when I’m done with fighting; I feel like I still have at least another 10 years of fighting,” Guillard told MMAjunkie. “People say that’s too long, but I want to fight until my body can’t fight anymore. When it’s over and it’s done and I retire, there’s no going back. I know a lot of guys who retire too young, too early. Once the sport is done, it’s done.

“I’ve been fighting since I was 13 years old. If I can fight until I’m 42, maybe 45; I’m happy with that. For as long as my body allows me. From here on out I want to be more attentive to the business side of it as well as the fight of it. I’m 32 and I want to be able to make a couple million dollars and get filthy rich off of Bellator.”

Guillard believes the riches he desires are attainable. Following his UFC release in March 2014, Guillard signed with WSOF where he fought twice.

It was a rocky stint with WSOF because Guillard missed weight for a title fight then proceeded to be pulled from a card at the last minute for failing to submit proper medical documentation.

The WSOF stint didn’t go as Guillard hoped, but in reality his release from the promotion opened the door for him to move to Bellator. Guillard said he couldn’t be happier with his new home and claims his contract is the best he’s received in his lengthy combat sports career.

“The financially side of it, the way that my contract is set up, coming from my mouth, it’s the best deal I’ve got in my MMA career in 22 years,” Guillard said. “I can’t be happier. I have a reason to fight hard, I have a reason to go out and give them 150 percent of me every time I go out. That’s what Bellator is going to get. They’re going to get the Melvin Guillard that was my early years of the UFC when I was knocking guys out in the first round.”

With his head straight and motivation back on his side, Guillard said he’s excited to return to Spike TV, a platform that helped introduce him to the masses early in his UFC career. Guillard fought six times on Spike TV during his UFC career (two main events). He believes the audience will remember him from those fights, but if they don’t, he plans to provide some new memories with frequent appearances in the Bellator cage.

“Right now I’m hoping to get at least three fights in between now and Christmas,” Guillard said. “I just like to stay busy. This is by far the longest layoff I’ve had, probably in my whole career. I haven’t fought since last November. So for me, I just want to get back to being active.”

Despite his rollercoaster career, Guillard has always provided entertaining contests. When he’s on point he’s capable of being one of the most dangerous lightweights in the world. Guillard can be a championship-level competitor when firing on all cylinders, and he still has aspirations of winning a world title.

Guillard said winning the Bellator lightweight championship is a realistic goal. However, the situation is complicated because his American Top Team teammate Will Brooks currently holds the 155-pound belt. Guillard said he won’t chase a fight with Brooks, but if the stars align, he certainly won’t pass up on the opportunity to take the title for himself.

“I actually haven’t seen Will since I signed with Bellator,” Guillard said. “(Donald) ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone was one of my best friends and I fought him. I’ve always been that type of guy. I’m a fighter. Business is business. It doesn’t change my relationship with a person. If the opportunity comes and I’m offered a title shot, of course I’ll take it.

“It’s something I’ll sit down and talk to Will about. If he’s game, I’m always game. If he decides not to, then that’s OK as well. Of course being the champion means you make more money, but for me, on the flip side, if for some reason I don’t get a title shot I’ll just keep fighting as much as I can and beating people up until I make as much money as I can. I want to be champion of course, but we’ll see what the future holds.”

For now, though, Guillard plans to take his Bellator run one fight at a time. He’s currently waiting for the name of his first opponent, and he hopes that fight will mark the beginning of a very long tenure with one of the sport’s top organizations.

“Honestly I feel like Bellator is going to be a great fit for me,” Guillard said. “I just want to be a more positive person. I’ve been a grumpy person for the last year dealing with different organizations and moving around. I hate being moved around so much. I like to be in places and have a home. I was with the UFC for 10 years and I gave it a good run. I’m looking to be with Bellator hopefully until I retire.”

For more on Bellator’s schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.