SAO PAULO – Johnny Case has impressed so far in his UFC career, but a deep lightweight division means it could take some time for the 26-year-old to work his way into the rankings.

But Case (21-4 MMA, 3-0 UFC) sees no problem with taking his time and doing whatever he has to do to climb the ladder in a division with over 90 fighters on the UFC roster.

“I’m cool with it,” Case told MMAjunkie. “There’s a lot of competition and that motivates me to be better. It motivates me to be one of the top guys. If I’ve got to take my time and take some guys on the lower side of the roster off on my way to the top, that’s fine. I know where my skill set is and I know I can compete with the top-10. It’s just a matter of time before the big fights come.”

Next up for Case is a bout with Yan Cabral (12-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) tonight at UFC Fight Night 77, which takes place at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. The card airs on FOX Sports 1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

In Case’s mind, it would seem you couldn’t draw up a better opponent for him.

“I love this matchup,” Case said. “I love fighting jiu-jitsu guys. It’s probably my favorite style to fight, that and other strikers. I think it weighs in my favor pretty heavily. He is a very dangerous opponent in the top game, but if I’m on my back then I made a mistake and will be looking to get back on my feet and finish the fight there.”

Case is riding an 11-fight winning streak that dates back to 2011. It was around that time that his life changed in one of the biggest ways possible: he became a father.

Now, with a pair of boys, age 3 and 4, Case has found extra motivation to approach the fight game selflessly.

“It’s not about me anymore,” Case said. “Before I was kind of selfish, I guess. I thought about myself, ‘Oh, I broke my nose. I better stop.’ Now it’s like, ‘Man, it’s not about you. You’ve got people depending on that income.’ They really just look up to you and need you to provide. So I go out there and selflessly provide and do what I love.”

Check out the full video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 77, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.