'Ultimate Fighter' Champ Eddie Gordon -- I'M A BADASS IN THE KITCHEN ... 'Emeril Ain't Got Nothin' On Me'

He destroyed Dhiego Lima in the "The Ultimate Fighter" finale this weekend ... and now, UFC rising star Eddie Gordon says he's already thinking about his next opponent ... Emeril Lagasse.

Gordon was out in Vegas for UFC International Fight Week -- where he impressed a lot of people with his 1st round victory over Lima -- and told us he's just as lethal in the kitchen.

"I put it down in the kitchen," Gordon says ... "Emeril ain't got nothin' on me."

Gordon says his recipes are so insanely delicious, he's already been hit up to create his own cookbook ... and says he's got one signature dish that would BLOW AWAY the foodie community.