Paul Taylor gets ready for UFC 126

Cannock's Paul 'Relentless' Taylor is dreaming of coming back from Las Vegas a winner after UFC 126 at the world-famous Mandalay Bay Resort.

Come the early hours of tomorrow morning - due to the six hour time difference - Taylor will compete Stateside against Gabe Ruediger over three, five minute rounds.

It will be the 30-year-old's ninth fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, having won three and lost five since his first outing in 2007.

The two-time world kickboxing champion is a fixture when the UFC comes to England and has also fought in Cologne, Germany, and Anaheim, Los Angeles.

It's a long way from where Taylor started out 15 years ago, walking into a gym in Walsall to learn traditional martial arts, and the West Midlander is determined to make the most of the opportunity.

He said: "Very few people are lucky enough to attain some of the things I have been given, I have managed to be in the right place at the right time with the right set of skills.

"I have put my life on hold all the way to getting into the UFC, now it's starting to pay off for me and I wanted, for once in my fight career, to show what I can do in Las Vegas at the iconic Mandalay Bay."

Taylor has, so far, been unable to put a run together in the UFC that could propel him into title contention, where Frankie Edgar rules the roost as the organisation's reigning lightweight champion.

But the Englishman has been working harder than ever training at his 'Pure Mixed Martial Arts' gym in Cannock and explains that the nature of the sport is such that his peak is yet to come.

However, Taylor also knows that his opponents are also going to get harder.

He said: "I can fight to an older age in mixed martial arts, because a lot of the game is about strength and reactions, my peak will come at about 33 and I am still not there yet.

"Anybody who is involved in combat sports, their job is to get into the ring and fight the best opponents they can.

"You strive for that - it's about testing yourself."

Watch Taylor fight live on ESPN tonight, programme starts at 2am.