Pettis-Thomson off UFC on FOX 9, Johnson-Benavidez shifts to main event

The merry-go-round that is the UFC’s lightweight title picture continues.

Champion Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) is injured and out of his main-event title defense against Josh Thomson (20-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at next month’s UFC on FOX 9 event. “FOX Sports Live” on FOX Sports 1 first reported the news late Sunday night.

With that card without a main event, the flyweight title fight between champ Demetrious Johnson (18-2-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) and Joseph Benavidez (19-3 MMA, 6-1 UFC) that was set to headline the TUF 18 Finale will move to the UFC on FOX 9 show. And in turn, a lightweight fight between Nate Diaz (16-9 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and Gray Maynard (11-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) will move into the new main event spot for the TUF 18 Finale, up from the co-main event.

UFC on FOX 9 takes place Dec. 14 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. The TUF 18 Finale takes place Nov. 30 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Pettis won the lightweight title against Benson Henderson in August at UFC 164 in his home city of Milwaukee, running his winning streak to four fights. It was thought that he would meet T.J. Grant in his first title defense, but with Grant still recovering from a concussion that knocked him from a title shot against Henderson – a shot that Pettis took in his place – Thomson was tapped for the shot at UFC on FOX 9. Thomson returned to the UFC in April after going 9-3 over his run in Strikefroce. He knocked out Diaz in the second round.

Johnson and Benavidez meet in a rematch. Johnson won the pair’s first fight at UFC 152, taking the UFC’s first flyweight title in the process. Since then, Johnson has defended the title twice with wins ore John Dodson and John Moraga. Benavidez has rebounded with three straight wins since his loss to “Mighty Mouse.”

Diaz and Maynard will meet for the third time, but just the second time officially. They fought the first time in the “TUF” house on Season 5 of “The Ultimate Fighter” with Diaz winning by submission. In January 2010, Maynard won their lone official fight by split decision. Now their rematch and unofficial trilogy fight gets main-event status in Las Vegas.

For more on UFC on FOX 9 and the TUF 18 Finale, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Anthony Pettis)