UFC 125 Results: What's Next for Anthony Pettis?
by Luke Thomas on Jan 3, 2011 7:01 AM EST
in UFC Analysis
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Was the real loser of UFC 125 WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis? Some have suggested as much. What was supposed to be the event where his next opponent would emerge instead only complicated his future and left more questions. Pettis had the best year of his career in 2010, but carrying that momentum forward into the WEC will be harder than ever. Here's how Fox Sports thinks matters could play out:
The most obvious and pressing one is what Pettis' next move will be. Unlike higher-profile and wealthier fighters such as Rashad Evans, Pettis is poorly positioned to retreat to the sidelines and wait for his promised title match. Not only would that risk squandering the momentum he built with his career-best performance against Ben Henderson, but it means he would forgo income for a prolonged period of time. A career spent receiving minuscule WEC payments would surely make Pettis quibble at the thought of waiting until the fall without fighting.
One possible solution would be for him to defend his lightweight title against a fellow former WEC fighter, possibly Donald Cerrone, as a way to not only keep him busy, but also to fully introduce him and the title to the UFC fans before the unification fight.
The bigger problem is what the fallout from Saturday night's title fight means for the wider lightweight title scene. With Maynard getting an instant rematch and with Pettis on some level promised the one after that, the likes of Clay Guida, Jim Miller and George Sotiropoulos all face a frustrating year in which a title shot is nothing but a distant dream.
As I've said before, I don't see how Guida can string enough top shelf wins together to get a title shot in an incredibly deep division. The same goes for Jim Miller. George Sotiropoulos may have more upside, but I'm cautious about over selling where he can go. If those guys have to wait, so be it. That's not the major concern here.
Pettis is young and developing, so he shouldn't feel under pressure to his his entrance into the UFC as the moment to begin carving out a legacy. However, my sense is Pettis has to take the Chuck Liddell route here. In other words, long before UFC 47, Liddell was looking for a title shot against Tito Ortiz. Unable to get it in the time frame he wanted, he didn't want to remain inactive, so he continued to take fights. Most notably, he fought the very skilled, very dangerous Renato Sobral. What eventually happened was one of the greatest knockouts of his career. The point is this: Pettis is on a hot streak, is healthy and risks losing both career and talent progression with an extended layoff. If he takes a fight in the interim, he loses his title shot. That's certainly a risk. But given how young he is (currently 23 years old), he's got plenty of time to make for whatever setback an interim loss forces. If he were 30, the calculation would be different, but he's only legally been drinking for two years. He's still wet behind the ears.
Now is not the time to worry about whether another title shot will ever come his way. There are certainly no guarantees in life, but it stands to reason Pettis will be a contender for quite some time. And the last thing he should be doing is slowing his development in terms of talent or killing the incredible promotional momentum he has created for himself the last 12 months.
The best option would be to get the title shot next, but that's gone. Accept it and move on. Find another opponent. Stay hungry. Keep getting better and have the confidence to know that whether it's this year or the next, a title shot is coming your way. That's how he got the WEC title in the first place.
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One possible solution would be for him to defend his lightweight title
This won’t happen. If Pettis takes another fight it’ll be a regular three round fight. That said, five rounds of Pettis/Cerrone would be drool-worthy.
Pettis vs. Florian or some other contender?
I know Pettis may have deserved his shot but if he can’t beat the next contender, then he is not ready. I think Gray Maynard vs. Ben Henderson and Edgar vs. Pettis was the way to go ( the winners meet) but oh well.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
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by SheepleBuster on Jan 3, 2011 8:41 AM EST up reply actions
if maynard is getting another shot then why not set up a no.1 contender fight with Pettis? forget cerrone and put guida/miller/sot in front of him and see who comes out. i feel bad for frankie in all of this. first he beat penn but rematched him and now maynard.
Except frankie hasn’t beat maynard yet and has already had two tries, and when u think about it like that it seems like he is the one that doesn’t deserve the rematch.
by Moots on Jan 3, 2011 7:33 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
that's just silly....
Gray beat Frankie in a 3 round fight over 3 years ago. This past fight was a draw IMO (Gray 2 rounds, the first being 10-8 and Frankie 3 rounds) The champ doesn’t lose his belt in a draw, Them’s the rules. It is what it is for a reason.
To say Frankie doesn’t deserve a rematch discredits the champ and Gray. Pettis is a kid with a lot of upside. Lets put him against Miller or George Sot. and see if he can handle a “real” UFC lightweight.
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 3, 2011 7:55 AM EST up reply actions
this.
Make that a 10-7 round and Gray would be 2-0 against Edgar
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Jan 3, 2011 8:42 AM EST up reply actions
but 10-7 rounds are like unicorns.......
right?
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 3, 2011 9:37 AM EST up reply actions
well. I do not believe in horned mules but I do believe
in 10 – 7 rounds. You see. Carwin Lesnar was a 10-8 round. I would argue Maynard Edgar was a bit worse than that considering that Edgar seemed to be almost out and kept getting pummeled. Oh well. I hope Pettis gets his chance too.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Jan 3, 2011 10:00 AM EST up reply actions
Sorry.
I would have to disagree with you. I dont think it was a 10-7 Edgar was able to slightly compose himself with two minutes left and took alot less damage then he did in the first half of that round.
just curious...
do you think he deserves the shot on Merit or because Dana said he would get it? Are Frankie and Gray so much less respected as Champion? Did you think Condit deserved a shot as soon as he came in?
Not hating on your response, just would like to understand your logic.
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 3, 2011 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
um that's a complicated situation
I would say, he has a lot of momentum behind him. He may not be totally deserving of the shot but Dana laid his cards. He said before that Hendo fight that the winner would get a shot. Did Brock deserve a title shot? Did Rua deserve a title shot against Machida the first time? How about Maia against Anderson Silva? Just saying… Not always easy to go by “merits”
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Jan 3, 2011 11:14 AM EST up reply actions
i get it
thanks for explaining. you have good points. i have a short memory sometimes. i’m old and cranky.
some answers to your questions (whether they were rhetorical or not) Brock did not deserve a shot at that point. Rua didn’t either, having said that, the time and place for that fight was great. (i’m ruining my first point….huh?) finally, they haven’t found anyone worthy of a title shot at MW against Silva. (he’s just to good)
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 3, 2011 11:23 AM EST up reply actions
haha. I am old too
Let’s say Edgar and Maynard fight again. And Pettis has a hiccup. I guess George Str. may step in as the next #1 contender but this whole WEC momentum thing is gone. I did score the fight for Gray but am not a fan of immediate rematches. He didn’t lose the fight. Had he lost the fight, it would have been you know more controversial. A draw.. seems to be something everyone is happy with. Let Gray get another fight and then another title shot.
Silva won’t be holding the title by the end of this year. I think he has underperformed in his previous fights and may not be motivated enough. Who knows. When motivated, he can’t be beat that easily.
I hope Dana changes his mind. Pettis vs. Edgar is smarter. If Pettis wins, all of a sudden we get a new title match. If Edgar wins and Maynard wins, then we get the rematch everyone has been hoping for.
"Turn yourself not away from three best things: Good Thought, Good Word, and Good Deed" - Zoroaster
catch me if you can @ MMA Answers
by SheepleBuster on Jan 3, 2011 12:06 PM EST up reply actions
i'm following your logic
I just am a HUGE fan of immediate rematches. To me, if the rematch doesn’t happen next it will be the biggest travesty since Hagler retired after not getting an immediate rematch w/ Leonard.
After the rematch we get anew title fight anyway. I admit to an Edgar bias (New Jersey born and raised) I think he needs to beat Maynard to solidify any true Legacy as a legit bad-ass. The immediate rematch removes a lot of what if factors like; Maynard getting injured in a tune-up fight, Edgar getting injured in the Pettis fight. For the sake of this argument/discussion the leeway should be given to the Champ. Not the potential challenger.
by F'n Clownshoes on Jan 3, 2011 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
I would like to see pettis fight again
If he is meant to be champion he should win his next fight. If not , then he has plenty of time to come back.
Over/Under on Pettis articles on BE that have a picture of that kick in the next two weeks?
/watches youtube clip another 20 times
"The only freakshow's the one in my pants"
-James Toney
does anyone really think
that pettis could beat either maynard or edgar? if the answer is yes, you can’t possibly be serious. i’m not questioning whether or not he deserves a title shot, but a lot of his hype is based on that crazy kick against henderson
and as far as maynard not getting an immediate rematch, the situation is slightly similar to the first machida-shogun match, and no one questioned that one.
let pettis fight someone in the meantime.
Im not saying that he should be the favorite but i definately think he has a shot to beat either. Pettis has better striking than Maynard, and maynard was able to drop Edgar early. I think if Pettis hurt him like that, he would have finished it on the ground. Also, if Maynard attempts to out wrestle him, Pettis has a rather dynamic guard and submission game. I’m not saying he definately wins but i think there are chances that he either puts one of the down on the feet or catches a submission.
WTF is this guy talking about.........
@phantom5691
Are you serious Pettis takedown defense is off the charts. Shane Roller he is a 3X ALL AMERICAN (better than both Edgar and Gray) and he could NOT take down Pettis. What the hell will Gray or Edgar do if they cant take down Pettis? On the feet he’s a animal and on the ground his BJJ is solid. He’s got the tool set to beat both guys. Your out of you mind if you think he can’t.
Conversely
Ben Henderson is a 2X NAIA All American (meaning he has less impressive wrestling credentials than Roller) but he was able to get Pettis to the ground. If you think Gray or Edgar could not take down Pettis at all you’re delusional.
OHHHHH! OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU SEE THAT?! He ran up the wall like a ninja and landed a high kick! Unbelievable! I've never seen anything like that, it's like something out of a movie!
by lowellthehammer on Jan 3, 2011 11:28 AM EST up reply actions
What is this the Special bus day.....
First off I NEVER said he couldn’t be taken down by neither of them. I said WHAT…WILL…THEY…DO….IF…THEY….CAN’T…GET…HIM…DOWN. Clearly hypothetically speaking. Learn to read dude seriously.
It was implied.
And the answer to your question is obviously that they would strike with him. Neither one would be at as big of a disadvantage as you probably think they would be, Edgar in particular.
Calm down kid.
OHHHHH! OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU SEE THAT?! He ran up the wall like a ninja and landed a high kick! Unbelievable! I've never seen anything like that, it's like something out of a movie!
by lowellthehammer on Jan 4, 2011 9:31 AM EST up reply actions
Between the Babalu fight and the Tito fight Chuck actually got his title shot, got beat up by Randy Couture and then beat up again in Japan. I don’t know what that means for the Pettis situation, it just makes me smile to think about it.
by Jonathan Snowden on Jan 3, 2011 8:50 AM EST reply actions
Pettis loses to Edgar/Maynard and then to a recently signed Kawajiri?
OHHHHH! OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU SEE THAT?! He ran up the wall like a ninja and landed a high kick! Unbelievable! I've never seen anything like that, it's like something out of a movie!
by lowellthehammer on Jan 3, 2011 11:29 AM EST up reply actions
I made the same Chuck comparison yesterday...
But the difference here is that Pettis is such an unknown quantity against the proven top UFC fighters that it’d be very, very risky for him to put a title shot on the line against a dude like Kenny Florian or Jim Miller, and it’d look pretty silly if they put him against a non-contender like Joe Lauzon or something and he ended up losing badly.
The best solution to me would be to try to book Edgar-Maynard III for May at the latest, and just hope the winner isn’t too beaten up to defend against Pettis in late August. That way it’s only an eight-month layoff for Anthony which isn’t too bad at all really when you consider some of the long layoffs that say, Cain Velasquez got early in his career.
I like Guida vs Pettis.
Look Guida is on a 3 fight win streak. He is one of the lightweight division most popular fighters. I say he needs one more big name so he can warrant a title shot. That name is Anthony Pettis. he has gotten a huge amount of hype because of that “showtime kick”. Alot of us might agree that Pettis needs to fight UFC contenders before getting a UFC title shot. If he can beat Guida then give him a shot. If Guida can beat him (which I think he would) then Guida should get his chance at the title.
There was hype WAY b4 the “Showtime Kick”. He’s steam rolled every opponent in highlight reel fashion. From the ground to the feet. He out wrestled 3X all American Shane Roller. I mean he is a beast. Solid stand up, Solid BJJ, Solid Wrestling………the guy is stud.
Anderson Silva didn’t deserve a title shot when he came in but guess what he got one. Vitor hasn’t even fought at 185 yet in the UFC but he is getting a shot. Give me a break dude.
Totally UNFAIR!!!!
Speaking of waiting for a title shot. Look at the likes of gray maynard!
He got the back seat and almost had the rise of a Jon Fitch with workman like decisions. for the record I dont like jon fitch’s decisions but, I am a fan of grey’s fighting style, for he does have excellent boxing technique IMO. What I am getting at is that we finally have an exciting title challenger and it is going to be blown in the wake of this rematch. I WANT THIS REMATCH. But I think pettis should wait instead of risking another fight. He should go on promotional tours and maybe technique seminars. there is a lot the ufc machine can do to promote and pay Pettis during the interim.
Pettis is going to have alot of pressure on him having his first fight in the ufc and I dont want to see another highly anticipated showing like Josh Grispi. This is a great possibility for both are highly regarded young fighters I don not want to see get psyched out on the big stage, which is what I think happened to grispi. I think grispi would have performed much better if his fight was a title fight (also he is 22 and that might have been his first time in vegas, hahaha).
Pettis will rise to the occasion and I want to see this kid in the spotlight and he deserves a TITLE SHOT!!!! If he loses he is young enough to bounce around and mature in the 155 class and earn another shot. If he wins he can try and begin one of the youngest title holders reigns in ufc history.
this guy is a future star. he understands pressure. He proved this by having a spectacular head kick ko on world of jenks, and in the last round (almost) of the last wec event. This kid is amazing when he is in the spotlight and i want him to wait for a title shot and have the ufc help him out financially based on the effort he put in to make the wec’s last event a memoriable one. His highlight video’s were global!!!!! and the ufc owes him some for the notority.
My names Mike and I like to party
Pettis is going to have alot of pressure on him having his first fight in the ufc and I dont want to see another highly anticipated showing like Josh Grispi. This is a great possibility for both are highly regarded young fighters I don not want to see get psyched out on the big stage, which is what I think happened to grispi. I think grispi would have performed much better if his fight was a title fight
So he performed badly due to pressure…but upping the ante and making his first UFC fight a title fight (and thus his most important fight to date by far) would have made Grispi perform better? I don’t follow.
OHHHHH! OH MY GOODNESS DID YOU SEE THAT?! He ran up the wall like a ninja and landed a high kick! Unbelievable! I've never seen anything like that, it's like something out of a movie!
by lowellthehammer on Jan 3, 2011 11:15 AM EST up reply actions
I like Pettis, but I can't complain about the rematch either
I think he should take another fight. Not a gimme, per se, but someone who’s beatable for him so he can stay hot and ride this momentum. I really don’t want to see him get Grispi’d and have everyone say “well if this is what _ did to him, imagine what Maynard/Edgar would’ve done”
"What do you know about my vision? My vision will turn your world upside down, tear asunder your illusions and send the sanctuary of your own ignorance crashing down around you. Now ask yourself: Are you really ready to see that vision?"
-Huey Freeman
Who's next for Pettis then??
My 1st choice would be Florian, but he’s tied up with Dunham, Pettis deserves a top 10 fighter, but sadly most are committed to fights already… so hwo’s it going to be?
Jim Miller
Sean Sherk
Charles Oliveria
Tyson Griffin
Nik Lentz
there just really isn’t much out there for him other than Miller, Sherk or Oliveria, everyone else is committed or suspended.
the rest would be a step down in my opinion
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Dunham vs Florian was scrapped recently due to Florian being injured.
"Caol Uno was like Mutoh. He developed into a star overseas and then returned to his home country a much bigger deal. Dokonjonosuke Mishima is like Kobashi because they both do moonsaults. Don Frye is like Stan Hansen because they are both fat dumb rednecks with mustaches." - Jonathan Snowden
by RagingNoodles on Jan 3, 2011 4:41 PM EST up reply actions
Pettis fights one of the top three title contenders
Pettis was scheduled to fight for the title, but considering the draw and the rematch, it makes no sense if he fights someone who is not in the title contention mix while he waits. That means 4 people:
G-Sot
Miller
Dunham (as long as Dunham gets past his next fight)
Florian (where is he in his recovery?)
From a pure sports pov, I think G-Sot is the next in line for a title shot so they could do a title shot eliminator between the two. Drop Siver , that was a gimme for GSot anyways in his home country, and make it Pettis.
I also really like a potential fight with Dunham as they are both very young, rising LWs with a great deal of momentum and rising star power. As long as Dunham gets passed Guillard (?) in his next fight, Pettis vs Dunham would crown the new and youngest star of the LW division.
Let the old grizzled veterans Miller and GSot fight each other.
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