Claude Patrick has a message for the UFC 149 injury critics: 'Show a bit of respect'

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has been taking a beating lately with all the fighter injuries, but perhaps no pending fight card has received the level of criticism that UFC 149: "Faber vs. Barao" has, especially considering how frequently the line-up changes.

Michael Bisping, Thiago Alves, Thiago Silva, Jose Aldo, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, George Roop and Siyar Bahadurzada, among others, all withdrew from the July 21, 2012 pay-per-view (PPV) event booked for the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, after suffering injuries in training camp.

Now, one of the competitors forced to bow out of UFC 149, Canada's own Claude Patrick, is speaking out in defense of the oft-maligned fight card, telling fans on The Underground they're still likely to get "good fights" and how the fighters still slated to compete deserve "a bit of respect."

Those comments after the jump.

"The much fabled UFC 149 injury bug has touched down close to home, much closer than I'd like, actually taking me out of the upcoming fight vs. James Head in Calgary's UFC debut event. Now last week it just so happens that I got hurt training and after a few days I realized I'm not going to be able to compete at the event, so I zipped back home to take advantage of Canada's lovely health care system, and start getting back on track. This morning i go online and wow, there's a pretty vocal contingent of people screaming bloody murder over a few changes to the card? FOLKS... it's the top of the sport your still going to get good fights!! Look at some of the guys competing even on the undercard. You may not know them now, but they did the work to be in the show, and can fight. Let's show the guys on UFC 149 a bit of respect, and watch a good show. Some quality guys there for sure. I think that Fedor vs. Jose Aldo super fight's gonna have to wait for a bit."

Patrick, who saw his 13-fight winning streak snapped against the rough-and-tumble Brian Ebersole at UFC 140 last December, will now be replaced by the "Bad Boy" against James Head on July 21.

Anyone think "The Prince" has made a convincing argument?

In addition to a main event for the 135-pound Interim championship between Urijah Faber vs. Renan Barao, UFC 149 also features a middleweight mash-up of Hector Lombard vs. Tim Boetsch as well as welterweight war pitting Matt Riddle vs. Chris Clements.

To see the reworked line-up click here. To see what else has been happening to the Calgary crew click here.