(“Cowboy” Cerrone and his travel guide Filipe found more than just solace in the caves of Mount Grenidor; they found each other.)
You may or may not be aware of this, but before the UFC decided to go the route of champ vs. troll, they actually had a coaching matchup in the works for TUF 17 that would have both made sense and likely been ignored by most of the population. That matchup was between streaking lightweight contender Donald Cerrone and former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, two 155ers who are due for a title shot and truly despise one another. Unfortunately for them, the UFC decided to take things in a different direction. Fortunately for them, it appears as if they are still destined to throw down in the near future, because according to Cerrone in an interview with the appropriately titled MMAInterviews, half of the contract has already been signed.
I’m looking forward to that fight. Hopefully December we’re gonna get it, beginning of January. My side of the deal is signed. (I’m) just waiting on him while his shoulder is rehabbed. There’s been a lot of shit talking back and forth, so it’s gonna be fun. It’s gonna be for the fans. I think it’s gonna be Fight of the Night for sure. He’s well-rounded. I think my wrestling is better than his but if we go to the ground he’s good on the ground, if we stay standing he’s good there. It’s gonna be a helluva fight. I’m packing a lunch. I’m ready for three rounds of hell. I’ll fight him on an undercard, I don’t care.
As you know, Pettis has been out of action since his beatdown of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 mending multiple injuries, and just recently injured his shoulder in training, which likely affected the UFC’s decision to go with Bones vs. Sonnen. So the likelihood of this matchup taking place in 2012 is a longshot, but a headlining fight on a FOX or FX event in late January? Hell to the yes, Potato Nation.
Both men are more than familiar with current UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson. Cerrone has come up short twice against the champ in the days of the WEC, dropping a controversial unanimous decision to Bendo at WEC 43 and succumbing to a first round guillotine choke at WEC 48. Pettis, on the other hand, built his brand off the current champ with his unanimous decision victory at WEC 53 that included the infamous “Showtime Kick” heard round the world.
Based on the Josh Koscheck principle of losing two fights to the same champion, the Pettis matchup appears to be the more marketable matchup of the two. The same can be said if current #1 contender Nate Diaz — who handily defeated Cerrone back at UFC 141 — is able to defeat Henderson in their upcoming title fight at UFC on FOX 5. Why are we taking time to address the most marketable matchup of the two? Because you know why, that’s why.
In either case, this fight has FOTY written all over it, so perhaps we should just set politics aside for the moment and enjoy a great matchup when we see one.
With all that being said, who do you think takes this one, Potato Nation? More importantly, who would you rather see face the winner of Bendo/Diaz?