“That was always the goal. The second I got cut that was the goal. I made a post on my Facebook and my social media letting people know the sad news that I got cut and it wasn’t just a small post. I wrote out exactly how I felt and I made a damn promise to myself that I wasn’t going to stop and I was not going to quit until I brought my skill set up and proved I belonged in the show.

“This entire time I’ve been out that’s the only purpose I’ve had. I cannot fail myself. Honestly after this fight I could die, I could never fight again, and I would be so satisfied because I did what I set out to do.”

In a recent interview with FOX Sports, Ben Saunders discussed his return to the UFC following a four-year absence from the promotion.

Saunders comes back on the heels of a defeat to Bellator welterweight champion, Douglas Lima.