For a man who has fought all over the world, locked horns with some of the best in his weight class, boasts over thirty professional wins and was on the fourth season of "The Ultimate Fighter," Rich "No Love" Clementi remains surprisingly anonymous today in the sport of mixed martial arts.

"I've been knocking off some pretty good guys lately, though everybody thinks (the wins) are flukes," Clementi said. "Maybe there actually is something to how I fight. The criticism doesn't really bother me, but sometimes I think I deserve a little bit of credit. It's not like I'm winning these fights by accident."

Though he's been victorious in his last five bouts, Clementi can't seem to shake the detractors who consider him a fraudulent reality star or - worse - a B-Level fighter.

"I laugh at that sometimes because a lot of times the people who are saying that are the new fans to where it's 'cool' to like MMA," he scoffed. "I was doing this when it wasn't cool to do this. Those people (who criticize me) are people that just don't know. Of course I've lost some fights but I've beaten some great guys, too.

"One of my best fights was when I beat (current IFL lightweight champion) Ryan Schultz (Pictures) in a few minutes. If that fight was on TV now, people would be like, ‘Wow you did that?' There are always going to be (haters) but for the most part it doesn't really (get to) me. I just take it in stride because I know what I'm capable and what I've accomplished."

Clementi is one of those fighters who lives by the cliché of "fight anyone, anywhere" because he has, in fact, pretty much fought everybody in his weight class and he's competed for virtually every MMA organization under the sun. Lately, though, it seems like his hard work is paying off because Bayou native will be fighting for the third time in five months this Saturday.

"To be honest, I'm a bit of a workhorse and I think that's what Dana (White) likes about me," he said. "I'm one of those guys who likes to fight and I'll fight whoever. I took the Anthony Johnson fight on short notice and he out-weighted me and was much taller. A lot of guys that I know didn't want that fight but I'm the kind of guy who will always fight and you'll always get a good fight out of me. I'm hoping to continue making statements and I plan on making one on Saturday and when I do, maybe the UFC will give me a shot at one of their headliner guys. I'm not saying I'm looking for or ready for a title shot right now, but I'm definitely ready for one of those guys who is a headliner or thinks he's God's gift to MMA."

Why would a fighter with Clementi's credentials prefer not to have a title shot in the near future?

"I look at this as a career and unfortunately I'm not 21 years old anymore," he said with a moderate sigh. "I'm not in a position to get an instant title shot, lose, and then work my way back up for the next five years. That'd be a waste. But there are quite a bit of guys in between me and where the world title is. I look at it like I want to knock off every single one of those guys. When I'm done taking out every top guy there is on the way to my title shot so that when I do get my title shot, there will be no question in anybody's mind that I deserve it. And if I don't win the title, at least I would have made some sort of impact along the way."

If Clementi is to land a shot at one of the more attractive - and lucrative - fighters inside the Octagon, he'll have to pile on a few more wins first. And that journey commences this Saturday against the submission-savvy Terry Etim (Pictures) of England.

"I've watched a lot of his fights and (based on) what I've seen, the biggest problem (for me) is probably his build," he said. "He's 6'1" 155 lbs; a lot of lankiness and it's kind of weird with submissions when you're that tall. I just don't know how strong someone can be at the height and weight. It's a double-edged sword. His size might make things a little bit more difficult because he could be squirmy and whatnot, but when I get in on him, it's tough to get those long limbs in (on me)."

With all the intangibles lying on the table, Clementi loves his chances against Etim. In fact, Clementi has the blueprints for how the fight will unfold stored away in his head.

"The weakest point in his game is his wrestling," he pointed out. "I'm really looking forward to getting my KO in the UFC."

If Clementi can get a win in the spectacular fashion he envisions, he might not have to wait long before he climbs into the Octagon to fight God's gifts to MMA.