UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis makes his return to the cage at UFC 181 tonight when he takes on ex-Strikeforce champ Gilbert Melendez, his first Octagon appearance in 16 months.

As fight fans don’t like to see inactive titleholders, Pettis said he’s heard a lot of criticism during the long layoff, though he says it’s nearly impossible to keep fans satisfied, per MMA Fighting.

“I definitely got annoyed with a lot of fans this year," Pettis said. "Just the way they respond to things. You win the fight, you're the best in the world. You don't even lose a fight, you get injured and you're a fake, you're a phony.”

“So it's like we need the fans to watch the sport but at the same time, I'm just focused on what I'm doing as far as training and having fun doing it. If I have fun doing it, I don't care what people think of me."

Pettis, who is currently riding a four-fight win streak, last competed when he captured the UFC strap from Benson Henderson at UFC 164 last August.

Injuries and a head coaching gig on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter have kept “Showtime” busy since that matchup.

He faces a tough contest on paper in “El Nino,” who is 3-1 under the UFC banner and should have arguably won a UFC on FOX 7 championship bout with Henderson last April – a split decision that was generally panned by pundits.

As it turns out, this will be Melendez is also returning from a long layoff as this will be his first fight in 14 months.

Pettis vs. Melendez serves as the co-headliner at UFC 181 this evening, where a welterweight title bout between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler will be the main event.