Jesse 'JT Money' Taylor has undergone some ups and downs in his fighting career but with the former TUF star one thing has always remained the same; he will come to fight and fight hard.

Since his controversial exit from The Ultimate Fighter for antics away from fighting, he was reinstated to the UFC but cut again following a loss to CB Dollaway. Keen to carry on developing and improving, the Team Quest man kept busy and has earned seven wins from eight outings in various promotions over names such as Drew Fickett and Dong Sik Yoon.

His only loss was a Unanimous Decision to Xtreme Couture's Jay Hieron in a fight that he took on just four days notice and with a lot of weight to drop.

"I feel if I had more time to prepare the outcome would've been different," stated Taylor of his valiant effort against the odds. "The weight cut was also way too much, too fast which kind of zapped me during the fight. Jay did well but I would love to get another fight with him on proper notice and enough time."

Taking the fight in such a manner after they had lost Nick Diaz did Strikeforce a major favour and Jesse echoed those sentiments.

"I feel I did them a big favor in fighting a top ten fighter on four days notice and just want my respect."

He did get that respect from his peers and fans as he continues to progress and establish himself as a high-level fighter. He is assured that only one thing will ultimately get you to where you want to be in this sport:

"In this game you just gotta prove yourself by kicking ass so that's the plan."

Next on his ass kicking agenda is Luke Rockhold at the Strikeforce Challengers event at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California on Friday. Jesse revealed that he has had a great camp and feels as confident as ever with a full preparation behind him, announcing, "I plan to dictate the fight."

Of his opponent, JT Money said, "He's not as experienced as me but very tough and been in the game a while" and then admitted, "His best [area] is probably Jiu Jitsu. However, he's good in all areas so I'm ready for whatever he gives."

The fight is at 185lbs and, although Taylor can make 170lbs, he is content to fight at whichever weight offers him the most opportunities.

"I like both weights and feel eventually I can do big things in both. For now I just gotta get past Luke but want to go the weight that's the fastest way for me gettting the belt."

With a contract still held in Japan, you can expect Jesse to entertain fans in the east and the west but for now he is focused on Rockhold who has gone undefeated (4-0) in Strikeforce.

Taylor left us with these words: """

"Keep on keeping on, don't ever give up never say die!"

He would like to thank Team Quest and his training partners, family and friends for support as well as Clinch Gear and all his sponsors.

Make sure to check him out over at www.yojtmoney.com

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