Pedro Munhoz respectfully calls out ‘legends’ Urijah Faber, Frankie Edgar

Pedro Munhoz knocked out former champion Cody Garbrandt in his last victory in the UFC. | Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Pedro Munhoz is tired of hearing “no” for an answer.

The Brazilian bantamweight talent hasn’t entered the Octagon since last July, when Aljamain Sterling snapped his three-fight winning streak. He reached out to MMA Fighting to voice his discontent with what he said were multiple cases of potential opponents turning him down for a fight.

“A week before Christmas I was offered (Cory) Sandhagen for Feb. 8, when Frankie Edgar wasn’t cleared to fight so soon (after his loss),” Munhoz said. “I accepted the challenge and started training, but was informed eight days later that it wouldn’t happen.

“(The UFC) offered me Cody Stamann the same week, and I immediately took it even though he’s ranked under me. A day later, however, I heard that he turned it down. He declined to fight me, and now he’s fighting (Raoni Barcelos).”

That wasn’t the last of it. After Munhoz went on his social media to call out Petr Yan, the Russian pivoted and didn’t sound interested in a meeting. Munhoz even spoke with MMA Fighting about moving up to featherweight to face Ryan Hall, an idea the UFC wasn’t interested in, he said, “because I wouldn’t stay in the division.”

With that out of the way, Munhoz now aims at two veterans of the game as potential opponents: Urijah Faber, a UFC star and former WEC titleholder, and Frankie Edgar, an ex-UFC lightweight championship and featherweight contender who’s preparing to make the drop to 135 pounds for the first time.

Faber returned from retirement this past July and knocked out rising prospect Ricky Simon before losing by stoppage to Yan in December. Edgar postponed his divisional debut to take a short-notice 145-pound bout with “The Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung this past December and lost by first-round knockout.

“I’m here to make a challenge,” Munhoz said. “I would like to fight these two legends of the sport, Urijah Faber and Frankie Edgar. They are two icons of the sport, legends who have done a lot for MMA around the world, and it would be an honor for me to share the Octagon with one of them.”