Todd Duffee has been keeping an eye on what’s been going on in the sport, and he’s been seeing the fight bookings that have been going down.

The problem is, he’s seeing a lot of names that aren’t his. With an eye on the future, the UFC heavyweight figured he might as well take some action on his own.

Duffee (9-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) today told MMAjunkie Radio he wants to fight former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (17-9 MMA, 15-9 UFC) sometime this summer.

Duffee said the callout has more to do with the bulk of the rest of the top heavyweights already having fights booked than it does with anything personal.

“I thought I was gonna get (Matt) Mitrione, but he got (Ben) Rothwell, and they’ve slowly matched up everyone in the top 15, it looks like, except one guy – so I’ve got to call him out,” Duffee said. “It’s not a grudge match – nothing like that. I have a lot of respect for the guy. But he’s No. 11 (in the UFC rankings), and with the new Reebok deal coming in, I’ve definitely got to beat those upper-echelon guys. I’m about to be 30 (years old). I’ve had a lot of time off in my career. I’d like to have a legend fight, and I’m looking at Frank Mir at No. 11.”

Mir is No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA heavyweight rankings. Duffee is unranked.

But after the UFC’s deal with Reebok starts on July 1, the promotion will institute a uniform bonus payment policy, in lieu of typical sponsors, that will be based on fighters’ rankings. So Duffee understands there’s a financial necessity to climbing the UFC’s rankings, as well – and that comes with beating top-tier fighters.

One of the sport’s hot heavyweight rumors revolves around the potential return of Brock Lesnar to the UFC for a trilogy fight against Mir. But Duffee said he doesn’t think that will happen, keeping the door open for Mir to take a booking with him, instead.

“I’m just looking to get a fight,” Duffee said. “Everyone’s getting matched up, and I don’t want to get left off. I don’t think Brock’s coming back. … I’m cordial – I think (Mir is) a legend. It’s nothing personal. It’s a business decision for me.

“Aren’t you guys kind of tired of watching me fight guys you know the outcome to? Wouldn’t you like to see a challenge for me, maybe? Longer than a minute and a half?”

Duffee returned to the UFC in December 2012 after two fights outside the promotion and topped Philip De Fries in a little more than two minutes for a “Knockout of the Night” bonus. At UFC 181 this past December, after two years off dealing with Parsonage Turner Syndrome, he knocked out Anthony Hamilton in 33 seconds.

Mir less than a month ago snapped a four-fight losing skid when he knocked out Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva in the main event of UFC Fight Night 61 in Brazil.

Duffee said he’d be amenable to a summer fight with Mir, potentially at UFC 189 in Las Vegas on July 11 or UFC on FOX 16 on July 25 in Chicago.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show, available on SiriusXM channel 92, is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia and producer Brian “Goze” Garcia. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.