Anthony Pettis rose to the top of the WEC lightweight division and continued his success as the UFC Lightweight Champion, beating rival Benson Henderson in both promotions to take the lightweight title from the gritty wrestler on two separate occasions.
He was an exciting finisher, with an unorthodox style, and continued to rake in the performance bonuses. However, after defending the belt just once against Gilbert Melendez, Pettis lost the title to current lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos. It was a dominant performance for the Brazilian and solidified his growth as the best lightweight in the world.
Since losing the title to dos Anjos, Pettis has simply not looked the same. He was on the rough end of two tough decision losses against Eddie Alvarez and Edson Barboza and is now ranked 7th in the UFC lightweight division. He has been relatively sluggish and has not shown the same confidence he once did in the octagon. Once regarded as one of the most versatile and exciting fighters, Pettis has fallen far from the top and is looking for ways to revamp his MMA career.
According to Pettis’ instagram, he is hoping for a revitalization process in a new weight class, making the drop to the UFC featherweight division this summer.
Now training with the highly-successful JacksonWink MMA camp, Pettis is trying everything he can to turn his career around, which includes training at the one gym that seems to specialize in this endeavor.
Just ask Alistair Overeem.
Ariel Helwani confirmed with Pettis’ manager, Malki Kawa, that the weight change will certainly happen and Pettis is hoping to make his debut in August. He also confirmed that the camp will be employing Mike Dolce to assist with the weight cut to 145.
Is the lightweight division done with Pettis? Despite tremendous success at 155, Pettis has now lost to three of the top six fighters and looks increasingly mismatched with every passing fight. Though the Alvarez fight was close, the loss to Barboza sealed the deal for Pettis’ legacy in the UFC lightweight division. At just 29 years old, Pettis has the skill and confidence to excel in the UFC, but needs to make significant changes to find similar success.
At featherweight, the problem for Pettis will be the competition. While the size advantage against most fighters will be a huge boost for Pettis; fighters like Max Holloway, Conor McGregor and even Charles Oliveira will be the biggest test for him, given their similar length and speed at 145.
In terms of a first bout, Oliveira seems like a great first-test for the previous lightweight champion. McGregor is set to fight Nate Diaz at UFC 202 and Max Holloway is coming off an impressive win over Ricardo Lamas. He should be in line for a number one contender bout, if not a title shot later this year.
Both fighters are currently ranked 7th in their respective divisions, and Oliveira deserves a bump in competition after finishing Myles Jury in the first round via submission. He has only lost to top-level competition and is a ripe 26 years old.
Their unpredictable styles make this an interesting bout on paper, and both fighters are hungry to climb the UFC featherweight ladder in 2016.
Oliveira has only lost to Holloway, via injury, since 2013 and has gone 5-1 in that span. While Oliveira has the advantage on the ground, Pettis can certainly pull off a highlight reel finish against the Brazilian’s above average striking.
For Pettis, regardless of who he fights, he needs to regain the same confidence, drive and versatility that once made him a champion. He looked reluctant to pull the trigger against Barboza and did not have an answer for the Brazilian’s footwork or leg kicks. Against Alvarez, Pettis was taken down six times which ultimately lost him a fight where he out-struck his opponent 56 to 42 in significant strikes and 109-74 in total strikes.
Whether or not the move to featherweight is the right decision remains to be seen, but Pettis needs a fresh slate to regain his past glory, and it will be intriguing to see if the 145-pound division is his true calling at this juncture of his UFC career.
