Frankie Edgar wasn't too thrilled when he discovered that Chad Mendes was pegged as Jose Aldo's replacement if and when the Brazilian is unable to face Conor McGregor at the UFC 189 pay-per-view (PPV) event on July 11, 2015, due to a rib injury.
After all, this isn't the first time "The Answer" has been passed over for a big fight.
What really upset the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, however, is that he was needlessly asked if he would be willing to step in and get his second crack at the 145-pound crown, only to have his hopes let down just days later.
He explained the situation during a recent interview on The MMA Hour:
"I was a little surprised by it. Somebody called and asked me if I was willing to step in. I almost wish they didn't ask me at all, get my hopes up for nothing. I found out through my manager that Aldo was going to be okay to take the fight. Later I read the contingency plan would be to have Mendes get it if Aldo couldn't fight. I would have liked to be considered, but it's got to be a tough spot for Mendes right now not knowing if he's going to fight. I'm sure he'll know before the 11th if he is going to be the guy. Still, to be training and not know, that's got to be a tough spot too."
In the end, it simply wasn't meant to be, and that's okay, as Frankie says there is no sense in crying about getting passed over. After all, he understands business is business and at the time "Money" was selected, Chad was ranked No. 1 while Frankie sat at No. 2.
Now, the media members charged with ranking fighters have flipped the script.
If that was the promotion's original reason for picking Mendes over him, "The Answer" would like to see the organization stick to that formula at all times, especially when it comes to giving out title fights, or in this case, a big stand-by responsibility.
"They pretty much said Mendes is the No. 1 contender. I guess they are going by numbers. I'm trying not to put my foot in my mouth here, but you have to go by the rankings all the time, not just sometimes, you know? I understand it's a business, but in this instance, your saying he's No. 1 and I'm No. 2... it's a fine line right there. They went with him, not me, I can't be crying about it right now."
And though "The Answer" doesn't want to take anything away from Chad's recent performances, he does want to remind everyone that he is on a four-fight winning streak, while "Money" is just 1-1 in his last couple of fights.
Either way, all systems are go for UFC 189, as Aldo is expected to show up in two weeks to face "Notorious" in one of the biggest title fights of the year. If that's the case, well, Mendes is still going to get a paycheck for training, cutting weight, and preparing to step in on short notice.
Not a bad deal.