The case of Ryan Janes and the disappearing Octagon

All Ryan Janes wants is to be locked inside a cage with another human being and given the chance to fight for his life.

Is that too much to ask?

The MMA gods might be trying to send the 35-year-old Newfoundland native a message as he awaits a UFC debut that has faced several pitfalls, the latest being the cancellation of Saturday's UFC Fight Night 97 card of which Janes was scheduled to fight on.

It's been six weeks since Janes was first supposed to debut at UFC on FOX 21 against Adam Hunter, and the memory of that fight falling apart still stings. Janes wasn't interested in having any interaction with his opponent outside of the Octagon after Hunter was busted for a USADA violation a day before their bout.

"Not at all. I don't think he left his room after that," Janes told theScore. "I saw his camp, but I didn't see him, nor would I want to. The most frustrating thing about the whole Adam Hunter scenario - whatever, it happens, you're angry, you let it go. For me, he's already a non-entity. He's forgotten about.

"He sullied his name, he's put himself in this really, really sh---y situation and the worst thing is that now it's part of my story. I'll be hearing about - most people who have a drug violation, it's quickly forgotten about … I just want to forget about it."

Janes hoped that his upcoming bout in the Philippines against veteran Dong Yi Yang would help to put his false start behind him, but the event collapsed when headliner BJ Penn was forced to withdraw with an injury. That marked the third time Janes was denied entry into the Octagon, dating back to a failed bid to join the "Ultimate Fighter: Nations" cast two years ago.

TUF: Nations was the first season of the long-running reality show to take place in Canada, and while Janes didn't make the cut, he learned a lot about what the promotion was looking for in its fighters.

"It was good," said Janes. "I walked away thinking that it was a pretty positive experience. It was cool, it was different. It was kind of my first time really in front of a camera trying to sell yourself - basically we're all characters. You're trying to sell your character, hopefully it kind of sells to a reality TV audience."

Fortunately for Janes, his in-cage bona fides have kept him on the UFC radar. He's 8-1 in his professional career, with wins in his last seven fights. That success has made him one of the most talked-about prospects in Canada.

A grappling expert, Janes only became involved in MMA to get in shape after moving to Victoria, and he only started watching the UFC to keep up with the chatter in the gym (though he does recall a school project he once did that involved grisly footage from UFC 1. "I got a good mark on it too," he noted).

Janes' only loss has come by way of decision, and he credits his natural toughness with landing him his UFC contract.

"I'm not the most super athletic, but I'm tough," said Janes. "I can take a punch and that's kind of something I've been oddly gifted with. Everyone jokes around that I’ve got 'Homer Simpson syndrome.' I can take a 2x4 to the head and give a thumbs up and keep going."

Now Janes just has to hope that his mettle is tested under the brightest lights sooner rather than later.