UFC 125 raises questions; what’s next for Anthony Pettis?
The most obvious and pressing one is what Pettis’ next move will be. Unlike higher-profile and wealthier fighters such as…
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.