MMAFightline.com's Jason Perkins recently sat down with Brad Imes to get his take on fighting Lesnar, the Randy Couture situation, his opinions on M-1, and a host of other topics, including his take on the current UFC pay structure and the future plans of friend and training partner Tim Sylvia.

In part one of our exclusive three part interview with Brad Imes, Imes discusses what he's been up to since losing at UFC 67 to Heath Herring, what he's learned from that fight, and the rumors that he's going to be Brock Lesnar's first UFC opponent.

MMAFightline: First of all how have you been? How's training going?

Brad: Trainings going well. I'm training down at Miletich, been there for the last two years now.

MMAFightline: Do you have any upcoming fights?

Brad: I was supposed to fight last weekend in San Francisco against "War Path" but that was the card that got canceled...the promotion (at the Cow Palace) wasn't very organized.

MMAFightline: There have been lots of rumors about you being Brock Lesnar's first UFC opponent, any truth those rumors?

Brad: I'll be honest, I haven't heard anything about it. I called my manager today, but he's on a plane right now. And unless they've spoken and he hasn't told me about it, I don't know anything about it. I'd love to fight Lesnar though. I think it'd be a good match up for me, but it's not anything that anyones talked to me about.

MMAFightline: You said that fighting Lesnar would be a good match up for you. Can you elaborate?

Brad: Well, you know I trained with him, and I know a little bit about him. I haven't trained with him for about eight to ten months. He came up to Miletich to train with us when he was first getting into the sport.

MMAFightline: Many out there felt that you won your fight with Rashad Evans at The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale. How would things have been different for you now had you gotten that decision?

Brad: Had I won that fight I really don't see where it would have changed much of anything. Dan Christiansen would have probably still been my second fight and even though I won fourteen minutes of it, I still would have ended up getting my arm broken. So, it wouldn't change that any...I don't think about it too much. This is the road that I took and I think that right now I'm where I need to be. I'm getting all the fights I should have had two years ago right now and building not only a lot of experience and ring time, but I'm also building confidence.