Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight contender Josh Thomson was given a crack at the 155-pound crown late last year, but found himself back in general population after reigning division champion, Anthony Pettis, was forced to withdraw due to injury.
Naturally, that didn't sit well with "The Punk."
The former Strikeforce lightweight kingpin went off on "Showtime," claiming the surgery to repair a torn posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in his left knee was "pointless" and that even when their UFC on FOX 9 title fight was first booked, he expected Pettis to "back out."
FOX Sports has the champ's retort:
"I don't even know how he got the title shot to begin with. I'm not gonna fight injured. I'm 26 years old. I have a long career ahead of me."
Knocking out Nate Diaz may have had something to do with it.
After his "amazing" knee surgery, Pettis told fight fans to expect him back inside the cage this summer. Thomson, meanwhile, will try to prove he's worthy of a spot atop the totem pole by turning away Ben Henderson in the UFC on FOX 10 headliner on Jan. 25 in Chicago.
Who wins?
For more on that fight, as well as Pettis' injury, click here and here.