Thales Leites challenges Tim Kennedy

Thales Leites's quest to return to the upper echelon of the UFC's middleweight division could include a pit stop against top-10 fighter Tim Kennedy. Or at least that's part of the Brazilian's plan.

"I usually don't choose opponents, I leave that to the UFC, but I believe Tim Kennedy is the best option for my next fight," Leites said in a release, according MMAFighting.com's Guilherme Cruz. "I always want to be among the best, always respecting my opponents. He's tough, he’s well ranked, and it would be an interesting fight."

Leites, a former UFC middleweight title challenger, spent four years plying his trade outside the promotion before making a triumphant return in 2013. Once back under the Zuffa umbrella, a reinvigorated Leites racked up five straight victories, including an impressive come-from-behind arm-triangle choke victory over Tim Boetsch at UFC 183.

"I always go for the submission, but I know the fight starts standing and that's how things go," he said. "It's getting harder every time to take my opponents down, and it's even harder to keep them there. The feeling of submitting (an opponent) is amazing. I'm a jiu-jitsu guy and I love to put on the gi and train with my friends. That's part of my job, but also one of my hobbies."