If you’re shocked that the UFC’s latest attempt at a superfight is sputtering…well, you shouldn’t be. While the idea of a Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis superfight had fans’ mouths watering in excitement, the fight that everyone wanted to see is very likely doomed already.
Pettis is meeting with his dr tomorrow. White said there’s a chance Aldo fights again at 145 as champ. TBD against who.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 13, 2014
Pettis wants to fight July 5th but he’ll check with the doctor next week and determine whether that will be possible.
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) February 13, 2014
That’s not good.
Aldo has beaten all of the the top-five ranked fighters in the featherweight division (making a jump up to lightweight a logical idea), but Pettis’ utter incapability for staying healthy is a major factor in the negotiations for this champion vs. champion bout.
For those who missed it, the lightweight champ suffered a knee injury during his bout with Benson Henderson at UFC 164. That injury, by the way, was in the opposite leg from the knee injury that forced Pettis to withdraw from his original featherweight bout with Aldo, slated for UFC 163.
While Pettis is hoping to get back in the cage in July, that seems incredibly unlikely at this time.
Making matters worse is Aldo’s reluctance to vacate the featherweight belt. The 145-pound division is crowded at the top at the moment, meaning there are numerous potential contenders for Aldo. Vacating the featherweight title would be required for this to happen, but should Aldo lose or, worse yet, if Pettis withdraws from the fight (and he is the pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC at that), it puts him in a very awkward position.
Only time will tell what will happen with this superfight, so stick with Bleacher Report for more news as it develops.
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