With heavily stamped passport, WSOF 5's Jesse Taylor happy to be standing still

“I have so many travel stories and airport stories,” Jesse Taylor told MMAjunkie.com Radio in advance of his fight against Elvis Mutapcic at World Series of Fighting 5. “There’s some wild places out there.”

You see a lot of them in MMA when you’re not under an exclusive contract. You’re not bound to a promotion that stays within a certain geographic area, and if you’re well-known enough both domestically and abroad, your phone is always ringing.

“It’s cool being a free agent and traveling,” he said. “What does get annoying is the unprofessionalism. Most of those shows have been pretty good, but sometimes you’re sitting on the show, and you have this wealth of experience, and you’re like, ‘What am I doing here?’

“But it’s a paycheck, and for the most part, they’re pretty professional. And it varies, which show pays good and which doesn’t, but the more you fight, the more you make.”

WSOF 5 takes place Saturday at Revel Atlantic City in new Jersey. The event’s main card, including Taylor (26-9) vs. Mutapcic (13-2), airs live on NBC Sports Network.

Taylor basically stepped on to the world stage when he competed on the seventh season of “The Ultimate Fighter” and was booted off prior to the finals for a drunken night of misbehaving. He entered treatment and returned to the promotion, but was cut after a loss in his first professional UFC bout.

Since then, Taylor’s passport has been in frequent use, and along the way he’s received dozens of stamps as he’s traveled the globe and fought for every major promotion besides the industry-leader. His debut with the WSOF, which is holding a four-man middleweight tournament to determine the promotion’s inaugural champ, brings him back into the spotlight. It also offers a chance for a little bit of stability.

Although Taylor sometimes fights five times a year and feels like he performs better, it might be nice to do a little less globetrotting. Plus, it’s a chance to up his per fight paydays. With two kids, that would be a welcome relief.

“If I get past Elvis, my next fight is for a belt, right away,” he said. “So it’s an awesome opportunity. I’m very thankful for World Series of Fighting for having me and finally getting my big break. With that said, I’ve got to win my next fight to stay in the mix.”

It’s really Taylor’s second big break, if you consider his brief stint with the UFC to be the first. But with so much experience under his belt, Taylor might have more of an ability to capitalize on the opportunity this time around. And he also brings a win streak into his debut, having won his past six bouts and picked up titles in two international promotions.

“I love my job,” Taylor said. “It’s really fun to me, and the more money, the better. I think a positive attitude (has helped me fight so often), and I stay thankful. A little bit of luck, too. I’m pretty durable, and I can fight a lot.”

For more on WSOF 5, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.