Following one of the most exciting fights in all of 2007 in a win over Jason Black at UFC 77, Oklahoma native Matt Grice took some time off from competing in MMA to attend the police academy and help solidify a future for his wife and young daughter.

Grice asked permission from the Ultimate Fighting Championship to take the time off to attend the academy. They were accommodating to let him do what he had to do, while holding his contract in place to allow for his return to the Octagon.

As far as the overall experience, Grice says he couldn't be happier with what the UFC did for him.

"I was perfectly happy with the way everything went," Grice told MMAWeekly Radio recently. "You hear a lot of bad things, but I base my decisions off personal experience. From everything I've experienced with them, they've done nothing but take care of me and done great things for me, so I have nothing but the highest regards for the UFC."

With his police training coming to an end soon, he has already made contact with matchmaker Joe Silva about a return to the cage, but also made another request before returning.

"I talked to Joe Silva about a month ago and I asked him if I could have permission to do a warm-up fight here locally in Oklahoma City and he did say yes," Grice stated. "When I come back to the UFC I want to be top notch ready to go, and I feel that being out for a year now that I need to do a local fight to knock the rust off and stuff like that."

Ready to return to action, Grice was pleased with the UFC's willingness to work with him and after he finishes his police training, it's right back to work again – this time for fighting.

"As of right now, Jan. 31 for Freestyle Cagefighting and then right after that hopefully I'll be going back to the UFC," Grice announced on the radio show.

Following that fight, Grice is looking to return to the UFC hopefully in April or May 2009, hoping to get right back on track in the 155-pound division.

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