UFC Quick Quote: Josh Thomson wants Anthony Pettis then a title shot

"You pull out of 145(-pound) fight, and from what I understand he's waiting to fight the winner of T.J. and Benson, so I feel like I'm the guy...You need to get through me to get there. I'm the No. 1 contender right now. No one else is...I'm a big fan of Pettis, and I have a lot of respect for him...But I feel like that they hold him on such a high pedestal that he's the only thing standing between me and a title shot...You can only keep your mouth shut for so long...You want that title, dude. That's all you want. My whole career has been about that title, and there's not a bigger title in the f---ing world."

-- Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Josh Thomson tells MMA Junkie that he badly wants a No. 1 contenders fight with Anthony Pettis to determine who should face the winner of the UFC 164 lightweight title bout between divisional champion Benson Henderson and top contender T.J. Grant. "The Punk" feels that after his highlight reel knockout of Nate Diaz at UFC on FOX 7 last April, he is the top contender in the weight class with Pettis choosing to move down to featherweight to challenge Jose Aldo. But since "Showtime" injured himself training for the bout and is likely to make his return at 155-pounds, Thomson thinks it's only fair that he squares off with the dynamic striking sensation to figure out who the true next top contender is. Pettis is currently still sidelined with the knee injury that forced him out of the UFC 163 title bout with Aldo and is expected to return to action just after summertime.