UFC on Fox 12: Jorge Masvidal and Daron Cruickshank promise fireworks

UFC on Fox 12: Lawler vs. Brown promises to deliver more MMA action than Fox has ever aired. For the first time Fox will be airing a UFC preliminary card on the broadcast network this Saturday. Headlining those prelims are Lightweight stalwarts Jorge Masvidal and Daron Cruickshank.

Masvidal spoke to SBN alumni E. Spencer Kyte about the fight,"I've got to stay active. I'm not one of those guys that can fight once or twice a year. I love to stay active.

"Obviously, if you asked me, I would have loved to fight a Top Five guy rather than fight this dude, but it doesn't matter in the end. As long as I'm competing, having fun - the UFC is paying me good money whether I fight a Top 10 guy or not, so I'm happy. I can't complain. I'm in a good place.

"It's simple: if they give me a Top 10 dude, I'll hurt that dude and keep it moving. Ain't nothing to it. These Top 10 guys - these Billy Bad Asses - I don't see it. I don't see one of these guys that I can't beat up on any given day.

"I've been looking at this roster for a while and a lot of these guys are going to be easy money. I can't wait until they give me the call and say, "You're fighting so-and-so" and I get to expose so-and-so, you know? I'm just waiting on my phone call."

For his part Cruickshank told BE alum Duane Finley all about it,"My goal at the end of 2014 is to be in the top 10 of my division," Cruickshank stated. "My fight against Jorge Masvidal is the first step in that direction. I'm pretty sure he's ranked number 13 at 155 pounds. I'm not looking past him whatsoever, but after I beat him I want an opponent who is ranked in the top 10.

"I'm absolutely confident I'll be ready for whatever he brings in this fight. I train in every aspect of the sport and I train hard. There is nothing he's going to do in there that will surprise me. Anything he can do in there has already happened to me before and I'll be ready. The best feeling in the world to me is knocking someone out, and that's exactly what I want to do in San Jose. It might not come quickly in this fight, but that is definitely what I'm aiming for.

"I'm starting to come into my own and this is a great time for me," Cruickshank said. "This upcoming fight against Masvidal will be a tough fight, but it's also one the fans are going to enjoy. Masvidal is a tough guy and he has a lot of street fights on YouTube where he's going to town, but that is what is going to make this a tough fight for me. I'm going to hit him and he's not going to go down like most fighters would from a normal shot. I'm going to have to keep beating him up and keep the pressure on him.

"I just turned 29 a few weeks ago. I think it's about that time where I have to start taking naps in the middle of the day and take my Centrum Silver in the mornings. But I'm not in the diapers just yet and I believe my best fights are still ahead of me."

The UFC on Fox 12 prelim card airs on Fox starting at 6 p.m. ET.