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Monday Morning Hangover: What’s next for Anthony Pettis after TKO loss in Toronto?
Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC 206 blew the roof off the Air Canada Centre last weekend (Sat., Dec. 10, 2016) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
For complete UFC 206 results and play-by-play coverage click here.
Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Matt Brown, who was knocked out by Donald Cerrone and his infamous switch kick in the third and final round of their co-headlining act (see it again here).
And Tim Kennedy, who was stopped in his tracks by Kelvin Gastelum in his first fight back after a long hiatus, getting dropped by the welterweight-turned part-time middleweight via strikes (video replay here).
But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?
Anthony Pettis.
Going into his headlining interim featherweight bout against Max Holloway, Pettis was looking to become the promotion’s next multi-division champion by adding the 145-pound belt to the mantle that holds his lightweight title.
But that goal was squashed a day before fight night, as “Showtime” came in three pounds too heavy, failing to hit the 145 pound mark because his body simply “gave out” and refused to shed any more weight. As a result, Pettis had to fork over 20-percent of his purse to Max and would not be allowed to win the strap with a victory.
Then came fight night.
Though he started off strong, Pettis had no answer for Holloway’s combinations in the later rounds, falling to “Blessed” and his striking game in the third round (see it again here). To make matters worse, Anthony suffered a broken hand during the bout, which may have played a big part in his loss.
Nevertheless, Holloway is now the interim featherweight champion and secured himself a title fight against Jose Aldo in 2017.
“(It’s) too much to make the cut, bro,” Pettis said. “I was dying from the weight cut. Literally they had to pull me out of the sauna. I depleted my body, so it’s too much of a cut. I have to go back (to lightweight). I can’t make the 45 weight cut. It’s too much.”.
He always said he’d pack on the pounds to return to the weight class he once dominated, but it wouldn’t be until after he won the strap at 145 pounds. But since that goal slid a bit further after his defeat, Pettis had no choice but to do it now, especially when his health is at risk.
The 155-pound division wasn’t too kind to Pettis in his last three outings, as he dropped three straight to some tough competition such as Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez and Edson Barboza. And Anthony has gone on record multiple times saying lightweight is a lot tougher — competition-wise — that Featherweight.
Which means if he does move up, he’s in for another tough climb up a ladder that has plenty of killers ready to knock him down at every step.
Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone, as UFC 206 blew the roof off the Air Canada Centre last weekend (Sat., Dec. 10, 2016) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
For complete UFC 206 results and play-by-play coverage click here.
Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Matt Brown, who was knocked out by Donald Cerrone and his infamous switch kick in the third and final round of their co-headlining act (see it again here).
And Tim Kennedy, who was stopped in his tracks by Kelvin Gastelum in his first fight back after a long hiatus, getting dropped by the welterweight-turned part-time middleweight via strikes (video replay here).
But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 48 hours removed from the show?
Anthony Pettis.
Going into his headlining interim featherweight bout against Max Holloway, Pettis was looking to become the promotion’s next multi-division champion by adding the 145-pound belt to the mantle that holds his lightweight title.
But that goal was squashed a day before fight night, as “Showtime” came in three pounds too heavy, failing to hit the 145 pound mark because his body simply “gave out” and refused to shed any more weight. As a result, Pettis had to fork over 20-percent of his purse to Max and would not be allowed to win the strap with a victory.
Then came fight night.
Though he started off strong, Pettis had no answer for Holloway’s combinations in the later rounds, falling to “Blessed” and his striking game in the third round (see it again here). To make matters worse, Anthony suffered a broken hand during the bout, which may have played a big part in his loss.
Nevertheless, Holloway is now the interim featherweight champion and secured himself a title fight against Jose Aldo in 2017.
“(It’s) too much to make the cut, bro,” Pettis said. “I was dying from the weight cut. Literally they had to pull me out of the sauna. I depleted my body, so it’s too much of a cut. I have to go back (to lightweight). I can’t make the 45 weight cut. It’s too much.”.
He always said he’d pack on the pounds to return to the weight class he once dominated, but it wouldn’t be until after he won the strap at 145 pounds. But since that goal slid a bit further after his defeat, Pettis had no choice but to do it now, especially when his health is at risk.
The 155-pound division wasn’t too kind to Pettis in his last three outings, as he dropped three straight to some tough competition such as Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez and Edson Barboza. And Anthony has gone on record multiple times saying lightweight is a lot tougher — competition-wise — that Featherweight.
Which means if he does move up, he’s in for another tough climb up a ladder that has plenty of killers ready to knock him down at every step.
