Brazilian slugger Luis "Banha" Cane is a man of few words. He prefers to let his hands do the talking. And in his main-card opening bout with Steve Cantwell at UFC 97 in Montreal, Cane plans to let his hands ask for a title shot.

"This fight is an important step," Cane said. "I really want to be among the top of the division, and this fight should pave the way to putting me there."

With eight of his nine wins coming by KO or TKO, Cane has quickly earned a reputation as a fearsome striker. His right hand slap to the face of former UFC fighter Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at UFC 89 – shortly before rocking him with a straight left – preceded his second consecutive TKO win in the UFC.

Cane believes he'll look even better on Saturday night.

"That is a normal move I use," he said. "The last fight I fought with an injury, but now I am 100 percent. I trained very hard for this fight, and fans should see a better Luis Cane."

Cantwell has quickly developed a reputation of his own, closing out his run in the WEC as the organization's final light heavyweight champion. While Cantwell has three career TKO wins of his own, Cane enters the bout unconcerned.

"He is a talented and tough guy, but I am not worried about being hit hard," Cane said. "I will impose my game."

"I am accustomed to being faced with hard hitters, so I won't be intimidated. But who knows? It's MMA, so maybe I'll get the chance to show my ground game."

Cane does own one submission victory in his career. Of course, his opponent tapped out due to a series of brutal soccer kicks from "Banha".

Meanwhile, Cantwell earned a bit of infamy with his wild celebration after injuring Razak Al-Hassan's arm in a gruesome technical submission win. Cane said he's comfortable testing Cantwell's skills on the mat.

"(Cantwell) is a young guy, and he got caught up in the moment," Cane said. "But I think I have developed completely as I fight. Whoever was in doubt before now knows who I am and what I can do."

With his lone career loss coming via disqualification to James Irvin in his UFC debut, a win over Cantwell would be Cane's third-straight in the organization. While the Brazilian stopped short of a firm prediction, Cane believes the bout could be a highlight of the evening.

"I am prepared give my best and that this will be a good fight for the fans," he said. "It won't go to the end."

During Thursday's pre-UFC 97 press conference in Montreal, UFC President Dana White announced plans for the promotion to visit Boston, New York and Toronto by 2010. All three cities do not currently regulate mixed martial arts but a push is on the legalize the sport so the UFC could hold events in each city by next year.

UFC lightweight Kenny Florian and UFC Vice President of Regulation and Governmental Affairs Marc Ratner, among others, were in Massachusetts Thursday to encourage the state to pass legislation that would pave the way for the UFC to hold an event in Boston before year end.

"The panel made a great case for what I think is pretty straightforward," Senator James Timilty, the chairman of the public safety and homeland security committee, was quoted as saying by the Boston Herald. "The sport is exploding in popularity, but it is existing right now unregulated (in Massachusetts). Boxing has been regulated for decades. It's about time that we've made the adjustment."

Provided the sport soon becomes regulated, a UFC event is tentatively scheduled for November 21 at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston.

A fight remains to have regulations approved in Ontario and New York, but White was confident at the press conference that the UFC will soon be welcomed in both Toronto and New York, announcing plans to hold events in both cities by early next year.

White also indicated during the press conference that the UFC will soon hold its first ever event in France.

UFC President Dana White said that Chuck Liddell (picture) could be stepping foot inside the Octagon for the last time at UFC 97.

"Yeah, if he loses, he will retire," White stated Thursday on TSN's "Off The Record" in Canada.

That's only White's position though, as Liddell has already said he plans to keep fighting.

White believes the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has already cemented his legacy and has nothing left to prove.

"He's one of my best friends, I love him as a person," said White. "He's accomplished everything there is to accomplish. What else is there for him? The most famous mixed martial artist in the world. Made more money than God, has a ton of money, and was a world champion."

White says Liddell will always be with the UFC but refuses having to witness "The Iceman" revisiting anything resembling the knockout loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88 last September.

"The bottom line is (that) I don't want to see him get hurt," White said.