Benavidez believes win over Pettis will earn him 3rd bout vs. Mighty Mouse

For Joseph Benavidez, the mandate is simple: keep winning.

Despite his six-fight win streak, the demand to see the world's second-best flyweight square off with its preeminent one - UFC champion Demetrious Johnson - isn't particularly high, given Johnson has already gotten the better of Benavidez twice. But the way the perennial contender sees it, it's only right the best fight the best in a division boasting talent but lacking star power.

"For anyone who says I shouldn't (get a shot) or that I've fought him twice or whatever - I realize when there is money to be made, maybe you'll pick the No. 8 guy in the division because it will sell more," Benavidez told ESPN's Brett Okamoto this week. "But with our division, there's not a star. Demetrious is the best fighter ever, and he's not a star.

"So what do we really have? All we have is our talent. That's what's great about the division, you can see things that 125-pound guys can do that some other guys can't. All we have is our skill. So if we don't have a big fight, why wouldn't you have the best fighters fight?"

Benavidez first met "Mighty Mouse" in the flyweight division's inaugural championship bout at UFC 152, where he dropped a split decision, then fell to the long indomitable champ again by first-round knockout 15 months later. The 33-year-old has since picked up six consecutive Ws - while Johnson has taken sole ownership of the UFC's title defense record and angled for a lucrative clash of champions opposite bantamweight titleholder TJ Dillashaw - but saw his designs on re-entering title contention go up in smoke when a torn ACL scrapped a June date with Ben Nguyen in New Zealand.

Now recovered and in training camp for a dance with Sergio Pettis at UFC 225 on June 9, Benavidez believes he can atone for a lost 2017 and make an air-tight case for a third shot at Johnson - the only man to have bested him in the Octagon - if he makes it seven straight.

"I think we could fight 10 times and it would be just as exciting as him fighting anyone else," Benavidez said. "I don't think there's such a thing as a big or small way of asking for this. What am I gonna do? Get an airplane and write it in the sky? The UFC knows I want it. They know I'm the next best guy.

"I think right now, there's a valid point for me to not get a title fight, because of the injury. But if I win seven in a row, I don't think there's an argument against it anymore."

Benavidez last fought at "The Ultimate Fighter 24" finale in December 2016, where he edged Henry Cejudo by split decision.