“The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17 competitor Uriah Hall has brutalized his way into the finals against Kelvin Gestulum and is a heavy favorite to win that match up this Saturday.

Hall has looked so dominant, that on the last episode of TUF, his head coach Chael Sonnen indicated that he was a true contender at middleweight, who could beat anyone at 185-pounds … including divisional kingpin Anderson Silva.

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Hall reacted to Sonnen’s strong endorsement:

"I was shocked, like 'What? Give me time to build up!' Sometimes as a coach, they will see things in you that you don't see. Since he was my coach at that time, he saw that potential, he said.

“Somewhere down the line, maybe it will happen, but it's not something I'm pushing. I feel, personally, this guy is a walking legend and if I ever get the opportunity one day, that'd be great. I'm not looking towards that, I'd rather earn my way up there, like the rest of the guys."

The unorthodox striking sensation is 7-2 as a professional mixed martial artist, with his losses coming at the hands of top 10 UFC middleweights Chris Weidman and Costa Philippou on the regional scene.

Weidman has come a long way since then, facing Silva for the UFC middleweight title at the headlining bout of UFC 162 in Las Vegas, Nevada this July.

Gestulum is a great grappler who seems to excel as the underdog and Hall has not had his ground skills legitimately tested in years, so crowning Hall this season’s “Ultimate Fighter” prematurely could be a big mistake.