Brian Ebersole enjoys his victory at UFC 133. (photo: Hector Castro/MMADieHards.com)

Taking the scenic route to the UFC, Brian Ebersole may have moved to Australia, but is ready to jump on the opportunity to come back home.

Known for travelling the globe to satisfy the hunger of his training camps, Ebersole (twitter: @TwasEbersole) grew up in Bradly, Illinois, but currently calls Australia his home. While the move may have been a distant one, the American has compiled an astonishing 49-14-1 record throughout his 12 years as a professional.

Travelling with a ten fight win streak, Ebersole has won his first three fights with the UFC; over notables, Chris Lytle, Dennis Hallman and Claude Patrick.

“I’m not sure that people thought I was going to perform this well when I got here,” Ebersole told MMA Beatdown on the MMA DieHards Radio Network. “So, it is what it is, I didn’t take a conventional path here; I moved off the radar to Australia for a little while and kept winning fights on the other side of the world. I just kept getting better when I was there so then I got my shot and everything has gone to plan so far.”

At the age of 31, Ebersole has the resume of a retiree, but still has the fire to make a move within the welterweight division. Understanding that health is the biggest factor that prevents a fighter from fighting, Ebersole takes the opportunities as the UFC offers them – before it’s too late.

“I do want to finish somewhere near the top and have a chance to crack into that top five,” Ebersole admitted. “The whole title shot thing eludes a lot of people and I don’t know how long I want to chase that stuff to be honest; I’m getting up there in age. Maybe not in number, but in sport with over 70-something fights and a career of wrestling that dates back to 1985.

“But whatever they throw at me is going to be looked at quite fair and you can’t really turn down an opportunity, which is what the UFC offers.”

Making hid inaugural entrance into the UFC on short notice at UFC 127, Ebersole amused fans as he bared a chest full of hair in the shape of an arrow pointing upwards towards his chin. Using the reverse psychology worked that night against Lytle, and assists in Ebersole having never experienced a TKO loss in his entire career.

In fact, he has only suffered four black eyes.

“It started out with me being a bit cocky with one of my fights,” Ebersole said. “I was fighting a kickboxer and I didn’t really respect his wrestling because I was able to view him in competition. So the day of the fight I shaved the goatee and the arrow, where the goatee was the target and the arrow was the hint. I choked the fellow out in the first round quite early. That little bit of cockiness turned into confidence and ever since then my hair has kind of been in play.”

While the hairstyle may appear to help the journeyman, his work ethic and dedication to training is what really makes the difference. As with most fighters, Ebersole coaches and trains other fighters in order to make his dream of fighting a reality.

With coaching being the main reason why he has stayed on the other side of the world so long, Ebersole admits that sustainability plays a huge part in his decision.

“Coaching was a part of the big reason as to why I stayed in Australia as long as I did,” said Ebersole. “The coaching thing, I will continue to do as long as it can sustain me and I’ll fight until the wheels fall off, but we can’t do it forever and I’m sure I’ll live the rest of my life in a gym after the UFC.”

The question is, where will this gym be?

Ebersole has trained all over the world in different combative arts, but when it comes down to it, he is a wrestler at heart. Knowing there are countries that have great wrestling programs, they don’t have the people he is looking for.

“I’ve trained all over the world,” stated Ebersole. “I’ve been able to do some very unique styles of wrestling over the years in different countries and Thai boxing in Thailand. I’ve been around some of the best countries for sports, but I would like to get around some of the best people in my root sport, which is wrestling. So, we’ll see what will happen with the U.S. thing, seeing that is where I’m from and where I’m comfortable.”

Whether Ebersole chooses Australia or the United States for his place of residence, he can call the UFC home for now.