After 10 years in the MMA industry, Marciea Allen had fought in about as many promotions as she had fights. The one absent on her resume, of course, was the industry’s leader.

So when the UFC held a casting call for women’s featherweight talent, a division sorely lacking in population due to champ Cris Cyborg’s (20-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) outsized presence, Allen (7-2) figured it was the best way to make her entrance.

Although ratings for the show have sagged over the past several years, Allen believes the show can propel unknowns into the spotlight.

“Not only do people get to know me, but also like me and trust me,” Allen told MMAjunkie while backstage as a guest fighter for UFC Fight Night 135.

Allen auditioned for the show and was selected along with seven others to vie for a UFC contract awarded the winner. Like other colleagues, she bulked up from the bantamweight division to compete.

Several Cyborg opponents have signed on to fight the featherweight champ, only to retreat to the bantamweight class. Allen said she can fight in both divisions and disputes the idea that the 145-pound class is merely a staging area for lighter talent.

Allen pointed out fighters who compete on “TUF” don’t do so at their normal weight.

“Yes, there are bantamweights, me being one of them,” she said. “But I could do either. In fact, I was probably one of the bigger girls coming into the house being a bantamweight. It did have its advantage, because I didn’t have much weight to cut. But it was still a great opportunity.

“If you’re to ask me which division would you prefer, in all honesty, it wouldn’t matter to me.”

For Allen, the point is that she’s finally moving up in her career. And while her opportunity could come with a meeting against the most feared female fighter in the world, she’s ready to take on the challenge.

Check out Allen’s full interview in the video above. Then don’t miss “TUF 28” each Wednesday night on FS1.

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