When Matt Veach steps in against Frankie Edgar Saturday night at The Ultimate Fighter 10 Finale, he'll do so as a heavy underdog. But don't expect Veach to back down.

The former Division I wrestling national qualifier out of Eastern Illinois University stands undefeated at 11-0 and trains daily with former UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes as a member of the H.I.T. squad.

Veach made a memorable UFC debut, besting Matt Grice at UFC Fight Night: Lauzon vs. Stevenson last February in a thrilling "Rocky-like" back-and-forth battle which eventually saw Veach knock Grice out in the very first round.

He'll look to employ his heavy-hands and uptempo pressing style against the constantly moving Edgar in a match up that could vie for the evenings fight of the night honors and further define the lightweight division's top contender pecking order.

Tommy Kail of FiveKnuckles.com recently sat down with Veach to discuss his upcoming fight with Edgar, mounting MMA training injuries, his future and much more.

FiveKnuckles.com: Where are you preparing for the upcoming fight with Frank Edgar and who is helping you get in fighting condition?

Matt Veach: I'm down in Granite City [Illinois] where I train with The H.I.T. Squad [Hughes Intensive Training] full time. The competition in the practice room has forced me to step up my game to the next level. The fighters that I train with are as tough as nails. Robbie [Lawler] and Matt [Hughes] have tons of experience in the fight game. Being around those guys has helped tremendously. I've been fortunate enough to have a decent amount of success as a young fighter and I can attribute a lot of it to being around a bunch of great fighters.  I've developed a relationship with Matt Hughes since I started training at his gym. There's also Brian Foster who recently beat Brock Larson at UFC 106 among a bunch of other fighters helping out.

FiveKnuckles.com: Who are your major influences and what are your expectations in mixed martial arts?

Matt Veach: The success of Matt [Hughes] definitely played a big part in sparking my interest in MMA. He had an extensive background in wrestling and was dominating every fighter he faced. Around the time I started wrestling in college is when he started fighting on the big stage. At that point, wrestlers were becoming very successful in MMA. My expectations in the sport are the same as everyone else that fights; I'd like to be able to make a living and support my family. What motivates me is my knack to want to compete and to be good at what I do. I want to take my shot at fighting while I'm still young and to be able to get up every day and do what I love to do is great. Having a chance to become a world champion one day is a motivating factor as well.

FiveKnuckles.com: In your first UFC fight against Matt Grice, you handled your business with a first round TKO. Are the UFC jitters still lingering?

Matt Veach: I'm pretty much past all of that at this point. Before my first fight in the UFC, I didn't really feel the jitters at all. I mean just like anybody else, I'm a little nervous going into all my fights, but it really doesn't feel much different now that I'm in the UFC. I thought it...