Tag: Anthony Pettis

UFC 156: Potential Opponents for Jose Aldo After Beating Frankie Edgar

Jose Aldo is a valuable commodity for the UFC after winning the UFC 156 main event against Frankie Edgar. Aldo, UFC’s featherweight champion, scored arguably the biggest win of his MMA career by warding off Edgar on Feb. 2. But where does he go f…

Jose Aldo is a valuable commodity for the UFC after winning the UFC 156 main event against Frankie Edgar.

Aldo, UFC’s featherweight champion, scored arguably the biggest win of his MMA career by warding off Edgar on Feb. 2. But where does he go from here?

The iron is hot for the 26-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist. He has an opportunity now to headline more UFC cards and face some of the best competition the sport has to offer.

Those offers have already begun to come.

Let’s take a look at a couple of potential fights for Aldo that will further his career and backup his fearless reputation.

 

Anthony Pettis, Lightweight

Moments after UFC 156 concluded, UFC president Dana White received a text message from Anthony Pettis claiming he wanted to drop down to 145 to challenge Aldo for the featherweight title, according to the UFC (via Twitter):

 

Aldo doesn’t back down from challenges and isn’t about to start now.

“It’s up to Dana, but it’s an interesting fight,” Aldo said (h/t ESPN’s Brett Okamoto). “I train to fight the best. I respect them all. I think Pettis is close to a title shot in his own division.”

Pettis (16-2), who is believed to be next in line for a shot at the lightweight title, is coming off of a UFC on Fox knockout of Donald Cerrone. That win lined him up to be the next in line for the title, pending the result of the Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez title bout.

 

Ricardo Lamas, Featherweight

Featherweight Ricardo Lamas (13-2) is potentially the first in line in the division for a shot at Aldo’s title. He’s coming off four straight wins, including a second-round TKO of Erik Koch on January 26’s UFC on Fox.

White said Lamas would fight another contender if Pettis drops to 145 to challenge Aldo, according to Okamoto. That contender may possible be Chan-Sung Jung.

 

Chan-Sung Jung, Featherweight

As mentioned, Chan-Sung Jung (13-3) is another top-tier contender in the featherweight division and could be in line for a shot at Aldo in the not-so-distant future.

His last three fights were all wins, his most recent win at UFC on Fuel TV in May 2012. The win, an upset of rising star Dustin Poirier, was named the fight of the year for 2012 by Sherdog.com.

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Aldo vs Edgar: 5 Legitimate Contenders for the UFC Featherweight Title

Jose Aldo retained his UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 156 against Frankie Edgar, and now the search is on for who will attempt to dethrone the champion next.Aldo’s run as champion has been impressive. He was dominant in the WEC and continues tha…

Jose Aldo retained his UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 156 against Frankie Edgar, and now the search is on for who will attempt to dethrone the champion next.

Aldo’s run as champion has been impressive. He was dominant in the WEC and continues that trend under the bright lights of the UFC.

He stands atop the featherweight world. Other contenders are climbing that mountain but they appear to be a ways down from toppling Aldo at this point. However, in MMA anything can happen, and Aldo needs a challenger.

Here are five potential contenders to Aldo’s featherweight crown.

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Gray Maynard: ‘Whether Now or Later, Pettis and I Are on a Collision Course’

Gray Maynard is set on making 2013 the year he climbs back to title contention.After a knee injury forced him out of a scheduled bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155, “The Bully” is ready to get his run to the top of the lightweight division back on track. …

Gray Maynard is set on making 2013 the year he climbs back to title contention.

After a knee injury forced him out of a scheduled bout with Joe Lauzon at UFC 155, “The Bully” is ready to get his run to the top of the lightweight division back on track. The 155-pound weight class is arguably the most competitive under the UFC banner and the former Michigan State wrestling standout is looking to face the best the division has to offer.

With that in mind, Maynard has his sights set on an early summer return and would love nothing more than to mix it up with newly-minted No. 1 contender Anthony Pettis.

Maynard was in attendance this past weekend in Chicago when the former WEC lightweight champion steamrolled Donald Cerrone in their showdown at UFC on Fox 6. The first-round TKO win over “Cowboy” put Pettis in the position to wait for the winner of Henderson versus Melendez at UFC on Fox 7 in April.

While Maynard doesn’t discount the importance of having a title shot hanging in the future, he also knows firsthand how much can go wrong in the process. Fighters get injured, rematches happen and if Pettis‘ shot at the crown is pushed back, Maynard extended the invitation to punch his dance ticket.

“Pettis is the fight I would love to have,” Maynard told Bleacher Report. “At the same time, I understand why he would wait for a title shot. That is what we are all working towards and if that is on his plate then I get sitting out. But things rarely go as planned in this game and if something happens as a result of the Henderson vs. Melendez fight and Pettis decides he’s tired of waiting then I’d be happy to oblige him. The way I see it, whether it happens now or later, Pettis and I are on a collision course.

“He does some exciting things inside the cage and I think it would be a great challenge trying to solve that puzzle. I watched him beat Cerrone this weekend, but “Cowboy’s” style was the perfect matchup for Pettis to do what he does best. Cerrone comes forward with a straight up and down Muay Thai-style and Pettis was able to dictate space and get off on him. That’s not the way I fight and I think I would present some difficult challenges for him.”

Coming off a win over Clay Guida last June in Atlantic City, Maynard appeared ready to regain his footing in the lightweight division. But following a knee injury suffered during training along with a lengthy recovery time, the 33-year-old once again found himself waiting as the divisional race continued.

Rather than focus on the negatives, Maynard has used the opportunity to heal up additional nagging injuries which have lingered for some time. The TUF alum is now prepared to begin his journey back to the sport’s biggest stage and is fully aware of the shark tank he will return to.

“The lightweight division is crazy right now,” Maynard said. “You take the top guys and put them in a fight and it’s anyone’s game on any given day. There is no rankings when it comes to title contention. It is who is winning big fights and making the most noise. Right now that guy is Anthony Pettis and why wouldn’t I want to fight him? Check my resume. I’ve only fought the top guys. I have wins over Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, all who are or have been top-level guys in this weight class.

“I’m kind of in Purgatory right now,” Maynard added. “I’m not in Heaven and I’m not in Hell. I’m not on the doorstep of a title shot but I’m not out of the picture either. Having to drop out of the Lauzon fight and the time off has been difficult, but I’m choosing to only focus on the positives. I’ve had a lot of nagging injuries that have lingered over the past and this time away has allowed me to heal them up and become totally healthy for the first time in years. I’m going to come back stronger and better than ever and the I guarantee I’m making a run at that lightweight title.”

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Armchair Matchmaker: ‘UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson’ Edition


(Well, that might explain the spray tan, at least. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)

It’s safe to say that the UFC’s latest trip to the land of major network television succeeded in exceeding most of our expectations. For starters, the event pulled in much higher viewership numbers than most pundits of the sport (and apparently the UFC’s marketing department) ever believed a card topped off by a flyweight fight could do. The fact that the card delivered exciting finishes and entertaining brawls from top to bottom further cemented our belief that the UFC has truly started to hit their stride with Fox. Not that we ever doubted them, but things were looking hairy for a while there *thinks back to UFC on Fox 2, shudders*. 

But today, we must gather up last weekend’s results like a herd of slaughtered bison, take to our (ban)wagons, and forge ahead to the river of subjectivity that is the armchair matchmaker (Oregon Trail metaphors. They’re like, so in right now.). So join us after the jump as we breakdown what is next for some of Saturday’s biggest winners.

Demetrious Johnson: Challenger John Dodson might have brought the pop rocks to his first ever UFC title fight, but Demetrious Johnson surely brought the coke. And by coke, I mean cocaine. Because Johnson fights like he’s on…you know what, forget it. The Tazmanian Devil-esque tornado of takedowns known as “Mighty Mouse” is truly something to behold when he enters the octagon, combining a limitless gas tank with a simple will to survive that is unmatched by 90% of his MMA counterparts, flyweight or otherwise.


(Well, that might explain the spray tan, at least. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.)

It’s safe to say that the UFC’s latest trip to the land of major network television succeeded in exceeding most of our expectations. For starters, the event pulled in much higher viewership numbers than most pundits of the sport (and apparently the UFC’s marketing department) ever believed a card topped off by a flyweight fight could do. The fact that the card delivered exciting finishes and entertaining brawls from top to bottom further cemented our belief that the UFC has truly started to hit their stride with Fox. Not that we ever doubted them, but things were looking hairy for a while there *thinks back to UFC on Fox 2, shudders*. 

But today, we must gather up last weekend’s results like a herd of slaughtered bison, take to our (ban)wagons, and forge ahead to the river of subjectivity that is the armchair matchmaker (Oregon Trail metaphors. They’re like, so in right now.). So join us after the jump as we breakdown what is next for some of Saturday’s biggest winners.

Demetrious Johnson: Challenger John Dodson might have brought the pop rocks to his first ever UFC title fight, but Demetrious Johnson surely brought the coke. And by coke, I mean cocaine. Because Johnson fights like he’s on…you know what, forget it. The Tazmanian Devil-esque tornado of takedowns known as “Mighty Mouse” is truly something to behold when he enters the octagon, combining a limitless gas tank with a simple will to survive that is unmatched by 90% of his MMA counterparts, flyweight or otherwise.

Unfortunately, the UFC’s flyweight division is thinner than that of its participants, so Johnson’s options are severely limited. Although Tim Elliot made a statement in his dominant win over Jared Papazian at the TUF 16 Finale, the fact that he dropped a unanimous decision to Dodson prior to that means that he is still a win or two away from a shot. The only logical next step for Johnson would be against the winner of the Joseph Benavidez/Ian McCall fight at UFC 156. Johnson has the advantage of having faced both men before (and McCall twice actually) and it’s slim pickings right now for the champ. Who knows? Maybe he can use that advantage to score his first ever finish inside the UFC. Lord knows the flyweight division could use one every know and again.

Glover Teixeira: In what was easily the biggest fight of his budding career, Teixeira stepped up in a big way and did what no man has ever done before: beat the excuses right out of Rampage Jackson. And while that is an impressive accomplishment in and of itself, we don’t think Teixeira should be fast tracked to a title shot in the near future; that kind of privilege is best left for middleweights coming off a loss. Most websites out there are calling for Teixeira to take on the winner of the Rashad Evans/Lil’ Nog scrap, also scheduled for UFC 156, and it’s hard to disagree with that logic. The light heavyweight division has its fair share of viable contenders right now, with everyone from Alexander Gustafsson to Dan Henderson primed for a title shot with a victory in their next contest, so let’s give Glover a little more time to develop before we start dubbing him the #1 contender.

Anthony Pettis: If KO’ing a hard-nosed badass like Donald Cerrone in the first round didn’t make enough of a statement, doing so with an off-the-cage flying knee, a handspring (?) kick, and a liver kick to finish things off surely did. Give “Showtime” his much deserved title shot so we can see more of these shenanigans:

Also, make sure Stephan Bonnar is on announcing duties when Pettis gets said title shot.

Ricardo Lamas: Give Lamas whoever emerges victorious from the Jose Aldo/Frankie Edgar title fight at, you guessed it, UFC 156. Lamas has put together four straight over the division’s finest, and outside of Chan Sung-Jung — who is still sidelined from the shoulder surgery he underwent last July — is the only guy in the division ready for a shot at Aldo. Or Edgar. But probably Aldo.

T.J. Grant: With his incredibly impressive knockout win over Matt “Don’t Call Me Handsome Anymore” Wiman last weekend, Grant has suddenly established himself as one of the lightweight division’s hottest prospects. It may have taken him a few years under Zuffa’s embrace to pull off, but Grant now finds himself in the position to call out the Jim Millers of the division. Thankfully for us, Grant did just that. Miller is coming off a late Fight of the Year win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 155, and although Grant isn’t exactly a big name yet, a win for either man would send a resounding message to the rest of the lightweight division.

Clay Guida: On the heels of a split decision victory over Hatsu Hioki punctuated by dizzying head movement and top control, Guida proved that he is pretty much capable of doing the same things at featherweight as he did at lightweight. The perfect matchup for Guida at this point would be Nik Lentz, in our opinion. Currently riding a two fight win streak, Lentz is a similarly strong grappler who could possibly negate some of Guida’s hyper-blanket attack and would be a great litmus test for Guida in his newfound home.

So, Potato Nation, are there any matchups you find more relevant than what we’ve put together? Give us a shout in the comments section.

–J. Jones

Pettis vs. Cerrone: 5 Fights for Anthony Pettis to Take Next

Anthony Pettis made a statement on Saturday night, knocking Donald Cerrone to the mat with a body kick and then finishing him with follow-up strikes. Pettis, the final WEC lightweight champion who looks scarier than ever as he enters his prime at 26 ye…

Anthony Pettis made a statement on Saturday night, knocking Donald Cerrone to the mat with a body kick and then finishing him with follow-up strikes.

Pettis, the final WEC lightweight champion who looks scarier than ever as he enters his prime at 26 years old, has every claim in the world to a crack at UFC gold in his next outing.

That outing could in fact be a title fight, or it could be another contender. Here are some of the options for Joe Silva and the fight booking department.

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UFC on Fox 6 Results: Anthony Pettis Win Could Spell Upset by Gilbert Melendez

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis has a lot of celebrating to do on his 26th birthday.At UFC on Fox 6, he finally earned his long talked-about shot at UFC gold, as well as a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, with his liver kick TKO of Donald Cerrone.That’s …

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis has a lot of celebrating to do on his 26th birthday.

At UFC on Fox 6, he finally earned his long talked-about shot at UFC gold, as well as a $50,000 Knockout of the Night bonus, with his liver kick TKO of Donald Cerrone.

That’s a nice chunk of change that should be enough to cover even the most lavish bar tab. 

Pettis vs. Benson Henderson II would produce epic ticket sales for whatever event it is announced. After all, Pettis was the last man to defeat Henderson, and “Bendo” has gone 6-0 inside the Octagon ever since. 

Can Pettis beat Henderson again without hitting the infamous “Showtime Kick” once more? That seems to be the million-dollar question regarding the UFC’s lightweight division.

However, there is one perspective many fans and analysts aren’t considering: Pettis being assured a title shot when Henderson already has a fight booked may be the best way to derail this rematch from happening. 

How could that be possible?

First off, Henderson has been salivating to get another crack at Pettis ever since that fateful night at WEC 53 in Dec. 2010. It’s hard to blame him for that. 

The hulking lightweight was nearly in tears at the post-fight conference after the loss, probably because he knew he could have won if he hadn’t let Pettis springboard off the cage and Matrix kick him in the face. 

He also had to realize the kick would live in infamy as one of Zuffa, LLC’s top fight highlights for the rest of eternity. To say Henderson was disappointed is a gross understatement. 

Case in point: It’s quite feasible that Henderson will be so focused on getting his sweet revenge on Pettis that he will lose to Gilbert Melendez at UFC on Fox 7 in April. 

We can all scream at the top of our lungs that “El Nino” deserved to lose his rubber match against Josh Thompson this past May or even argue that he’s a huge wuss for backing out of two Strikeforce title fights with Pat Healy.

However, the bottom line is that Melendez beat Thompson via split decision and cited a lingering shoulder injury for never fighting Healy (even if it was bogus or overexaggerated).

More importantly, Melendez is pretty good in his own right. He is extremely well-rounded with vicious striking and ground-and-pound, solid takedowns and expert submission defense.

It’s easy to write off the California native for two reasons.

First, he’s never fought in the UFC.

Second, he trains at Cesar Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Nate Diaz, a training partner of Melendez, was absolutely embarrassed by Henderson at UFC on Fox 5 in December. That makes it easy to jump to the conclusion the same thing is going to happen to Melendez. 

However, styles make fights, and Melendez doesn’t fight much like Nate Diaz. Melendez has far better takedown defense and is a lot more versatile with his striking. 

Both Cesar Gracie fighters love to scrap and never quit, but that’s basically where the similarities end. 

Melendez will beat Henderson at UFC on Fox 7 this spring because the champ will look past the challenger, making Henderson vs. Pettis II one of the greatest fights that never was. 

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