Having Run Through The Gauntlet To Return To The UFC, Jeff Curran Isn't Going Anywhere

This weekend at UFC 137, Jeff "Big Frog" Curran will fight again in the UFC for the first time since a one-off fight against Matt Serra back in 2004, a match which didn't go his way.

Since then, the 34-year-old has fought all across the board, under every banner from Pride to the WEC. During his five-fight stint in the latter, he went on a four-fight losing streak after opening up with a decision win over Stephen Ledbetter. He faced Urijah Faber next and, though he had great success early on against the California Kid, he ended up coming up short, losing via submission. That loss kicked off his four-fight skid, which includes losses to Mike Brown, Joseph Benavidez and Takeya Mizugaki. Curran says that the losses came about for his refusal to reevaluate after the Faber loss.

"I'd like for people to understand that losing at the very top levels doesn't cut it for me. 'almost,' as I was taught years ago, doesn't count. It's not a game of horseshoes," said Curran. "But rather than come up for air and rethink our strategy, I went off the handle and insisted on fighting more top-level contenders rather than gain my momentum once again."

Having faced more than his fair share of obstacles outside of the gym on his way back to the UFC, Curran is determined not to let this opportunity slip out of his hands again.

"This means the world to me," he said. "It is a testament to myself more than anyone else of what I am made of. I wasn't brought in to be filler for the next big thing, or as a publicity stunt. I earned it. I literally fought my way back to UFC… through physical, emotional, mental, and financial battles. Here I am, and I am here to stay."

Curran meets the well-established Scott Jorgensen on the main card of UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz this Saturday, October 29, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Return to FightLine that night for our live, ongoing coverage of the event.

Mark Wayne is the head writer for FightLine.com. He can be followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_MarkWayne.