Not that the now former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis was making excuses, but there were some contributing factors to his performance on Saturday night against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185.
Pettis explained in the post-fight interview during the pay-per-view telecast, after a surprising one-sided loss.
“Man, [dos Anjos] caught me with the left hand, the first punch he threw, I couldn’t see out of my right eye the whole time,” he told Joe Rogan. “It closed up on me, I didn’t have any peripheral [vision]. No excuses, I’ve got to go back to the gym and train.”
The Brazilian dos Anjos got the better of 28-year Pettis early and often, being the aggressor, varying his striking attack, and scoring timely takedowns in each of the five rounds. He won on the scorecards in dominant fashion (50-45, 50-45, 50-45). It was dos Anjos’ fourth win in a row, and his ninth victory in his last ten fights.
For Pettis, it was his first loss since a 2011 setback against Clay Guida.