Mark Munoz will headline the UFC's fourth FUEL TV event in July, as he returns from elbow surgery to take on fellow middleweight prospect Chris Weidman. However, talk of Hector Lombard moving into a possible title shot ahead of Munoz has caused a bit of an issue.

"Hector Lombard? Shoot, I got respect for that guy. He's a good fighter," said Munoz, in a recent interview with AllElbows.com. "But, I've been in this organization for over two years and I've been earning my stripes. He needs to do the same. So this fight against Brian Stann, should he win it, I don't think he deserves a title shot."

Lombard and Stann will meet in August in the main event of UFC on FOX 4. That card takes place in Los Angeles, with Lombard making his UFC debut after dominating in Bellator for years.

Munoz is on a four-fight win streak, but was forced out of a planned No. 1 contender match with Chael Sonnen earlier this year when it was determined he needed surgery to fix his elbow. He added, "Now I feel like I deserve that fight should I win against Chris Weidman."

UFC on FUEL: Munoz vs. Weidman takes place July 11 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Jon Fitch-Aaron Simpson and Brandon Vera-James Te Huna are two other planned matches for the night.

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