Add a potential featherweight barnburner to the growing list of high-profile bouts at November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden. According to a report from Combate, two-time former title challenger Frankie Edgar will battle No. 7-ranked Jeremy Stephens at the UFC’s first major card from New York City. Edgar will seek to rebound from his
Add a potential featherweight barnburner to the growing list of high-profile bouts at November’s UFC 205 from Madison Square Garden.
According to a report from Combate, two-time former title challenger Frankie Edgar will battle No. 7-ranked Jeremy Stephens at the UFC’s first major card from New York City.
Edgar will seek to rebound from his second unanimous decision loss to Jose Aldo. The two threw down for the interim 145-pound belt at July 9’s UFC 200, where ‘Junior’ edged the answer to remain the only man to beat ‘The Answer’ twice (or at all) at 145 pounds. There was talk of of Edgar cutting down yet another weight class to fight for the 135-pound belt, but nothing came of the speculation.
Hailing from nearby Toms River, New Jersey, Edgar will be faced with a pivotal bout in front of his family and friends as he attempts to claw his way back to another elusive title.
Stephens, on the other hand, has very little to lose, as he has the opportunity to score a two-fight win streak over some top names after his decision win over former bantamweight champ Renan Barao in his last fight. “Lil’ Heathen” is well known for putting on some of the most exciting bouts in the UFC. He’s won two out of his last three, with the only loss in that period to surging contender Max Holloway, who’s won nine in a row.
Edgar vs. Stephens will join a growing UFC 205 lineup that added Chris Weidman vs. Yoel Romero today, Donald Cerrone vs. Kelvin Gastelum, and Rashad Evans vs. Tim Kennedy. Less than two months away from the hyped and historic card, UFC 205 does not yet have a main event in place, although Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt has been rumored.
If Max Holloway thought Jose Aldo was already ‘running scared’ from him, this is really going to make him mad. One day after “Blessed” called out the interim featherweight champ for waiting for his rematch with Conor McGregor or even taking a fight against new 145-pound contender Anthony Pettis, Aldo confirmed to Brazilian show Revista Combate (via
If Max Holloway thought Jose Aldo was already ‘running scared’ from him, this is really going to make him mad.
One day after “Blessed” called out the interim featherweight champ for waiting for his rematch with Conor McGregor or even taking a fight against new 145-pound contender Anthony Pettis, Aldo confirmed to Brazilian show Revista Combate (via MMA Fighting) that he wants his rematch, but if he can’t face off with ‘The Notorious’ again, he’d prefer a bout with ‘Showtime’ because it would sell better:
“I’m already frustrated that it might happen. Every night I ask ‘give me one more chance to get in there again with him and I know it won’t happen again.’ but if it’s not him, I think I’d prefer to fight Pettis. I with them learned that I don’t have to look at the promotion’s side, the title run. A fight with Pettis would sell a lot more than Holloway.”
The former lightweight champ recently made a splash debut at August 27’s UFC on FOX 21 by submitting tough challenger Charles Oliveira in a back-and-forth affair, but Aldo said he believes Holloway, who’s racked up an insane nine straight wins, is the much tougher opponent:
“Holloway is way tougher than Pettis today. ‘Do Bronx’ (Oliveira) was winning the fight, but (his cardio) goes down drastically during the fight. I think that a fight with Pettis would sell a lot and is way easier for me. If I had to choose one of them it would be him because it sells more and I have a better chance, but I respect him.”
Aldo won the interim title with a second decision win over Frankie Edgar at July’s UFC 200, and is now set on fighting for the undisputed belt next no matter what. McGregor, on the other hand, has been linked to a possible lightweight title fight against 155-pound champion Eddie Alvarez, or even a monumental super fight with former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre, meaning that the featherweight title defense Dana White swore was coming might never truly happen.
The Nova Uniao superstar revealed he’s trying to get on UFC 205 in New York City, and wants the biggest money fight possible after following White’s lead. His longtime head coach Andre Pederneiras is negotiating with the UFC to hopefully get him a spot in what might be MMA’s biggest card of 2016:
“It makes sense, but I’m not looking at the whole title thing now,” Aldo said of fighting Holloway in New York. “I look at the financial aspect of it. I thought about my legacy and career before, but now I look with different eyes. I think Dana White taught me that. The biggest slice of the cake has to be mine.
“I’m trying to get a fight at this UFC card in New York, but we’ll see what ‘Dede’ (Pederneiras) has to say when he comes back. ‘Dede’ is (in Cleveland) now for a meeting with Dana to decide our future. I hope everything goes right. If it’s not against (McGregor) we fight for the undisputed belt. We’ll see.”
In the weeks following UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s close majority decision win over Nate Diaz at welterweight in the main event of August 20’s UFC 202, “The Notorious” has been linked to a variety of high-profile bouts for his next attraction. Those include potentially lucrative fights against supposedly returning former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre
In the weeks following UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s close majority decision win over Nate Diaz at welterweight in the main event of August 20’s UFC 202, “The Notorious” has been linked to a variety of high-profile bouts for his next attraction.
Those include potentially lucrative fights against supposedly returning former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and current lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez, but one MMA legend agrees with the many who think McGregor should finally defend his 145-pound title. Speaking during a recent interview with Submission Radio, former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten revealed his stance that McGregor should finally give Jose Aldo, whom he knocked out in 13 seconds to win the belt, his long overdue rematch:
“No, they cannot do it – well they can do it if they want, but that’s not going to be well received. I would say what you said, give up the title, then step away from it and go for the title shot at 155. That I can see happening. But both? No. I think there’s going to be a backlash. I think people are gonna speak up.”
“He needs to defend his title now against Jose Aldo. That’s first. He should have done that before already, I believe. So now he’s going to have to go back to 145, defend his title, then decide.”
As for the rumored fight with GSP, Rutten was brutally honest in his assessment of how it would play out, which made the fight one he is not interesting in seeing. “El Guapo” would be more interested in seeing St-Pierre face top welterweight contender Stephen Thompson:
“Nah. I rather see GSP against somebody with better takedown defense, because we know what’s going to happen – and even if you have great takedown defense, it’s still going to be hard not to be taken down by GSP. We know what’s going to happen, he’s (Georges St-Pierre) going to take him down and then be on top of him. I don’t know if that’s going to be an exciting fight, you know, the whole time he’s on top. I don’t know if he can finish him once he has him on the ground, so I don’t know. Rather see him against Wonderboy or something like that. I think that would be a really good fight – GSP I’m talking about.”
It may be a bit blunt, yet it’s an honest assessment of the situation, as fans new to MMA may think McGregor owns a decided edge on the long-absent St-Pierre while in truth the all-time legend would have a huge edge on McGregor in the wrestling department – his main perceived area of weakness.
Many fans and media members are calling for McGregor to either give Aldo the second chance at redemption he earned by beating Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight belt at UFC 200, or vacate that title to go on and contend for a second belt up a weight class.
The fight with St-Pierre will always be there, too, and it could truly contend for the title of the biggest fight in UFC history, at least in terms of pay-per-view sales and live gate. The outcome, however, may be a bit of a letdown if anything close to Rutten’s prediction were to come true.
In the weeks following UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s close majority decision win over Nate Diaz at welterweight in the main event of August 20’s UFC 202, “The Notorious” has been linked to a variety of high-profile bouts for his next attraction. Those include potentially lucrative fights against supposedly returning former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre
In the weeks following UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor’s close majority decision win over Nate Diaz at welterweight in the main event of August 20’s UFC 202, “The Notorious” has been linked to a variety of high-profile bouts for his next attraction.
Those include potentially lucrative fights against supposedly returning former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre and current lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez, but one MMA legend agrees with the many who think McGregor should finally defend his 145-pound title. Speaking during a recent interview with Submission Radio, former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten revealed his stance that McGregor should finally give Jose Aldo, whom he knocked out in 13 seconds to win the belt, his long overdue rematch:
“No, they cannot do it – well they can do it if they want, but that’s not going to be well received. I would say what you said, give up the title, then step away from it and go for the title shot at 155. That I can see happening. But both? No. I think there’s going to be a backlash. I think people are gonna speak up.”
“He needs to defend his title now against Jose Aldo. That’s first. He should have done that before already, I believe. So now he’s going to have to go back to 145, defend his title, then decide.”
As for the rumored fight with GSP, Rutten was brutally honest in his assessment of how it would play out, which made the fight one he is not interesting in seeing. “El Guapo” would be more interested in seeing St-Pierre face top welterweight contender Stephen Thompson:
“Nah. I rather see GSP against somebody with better takedown defense, because we know what’s going to happen – and even if you have great takedown defense, it’s still going to be hard not to be taken down by GSP. We know what’s going to happen, he’s (Georges St-Pierre) going to take him down and then be on top of him. I don’t know if that’s going to be an exciting fight, you know, the whole time he’s on top. I don’t know if he can finish him once he has him on the ground, so I don’t know. Rather see him against Wonderboy or something like that. I think that would be a really good fight – GSP I’m talking about.”
It may be a bit blunt, yet it’s an honest assessment of the situation, as fans new to MMA may think McGregor owns a decided edge on the long-absent St-Pierre while in truth the all-time legend would have a huge edge on McGregor in the wrestling department – his main perceived area of weakness.
Many fans and media members are calling for McGregor to either give Aldo the second chance at redemption he earned by beating Frankie Edgar for the interim featherweight belt at UFC 200, or vacate that title to go on and contend for a second belt up a weight class.
The fight with St-Pierre will always be there, too, and it could truly contend for the title of the biggest fight in UFC history, at least in terms of pay-per-view sales and live gate. The outcome, however, may be a bit of a letdown if anything close to Rutten’s prediction were to come true.
The great thing about so many fighters being active on social media is that you really can see matchups come together at any and all times.
Recent featherweight winner Anthony Pettis views himself as a top contender at 145 pounds.
So doesn’t Max Holloway.
Pettis decided to pop the question regarding a fight with Holloway later this year in New York City at UFC 205.
Is this a bout that interests you as a fight fan? “Showtime” is a former UFC lightweight champion who submitted Charles Oliveira in his featherweight debut.
Holloway, meanwhile, has won nine consecutive fights since a loss to UFC champion Conor McGregor via decision.
Prior to last night’s (Sat., August 27, 2016) UFC on FOX 21 from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony ‘Showtime’s Pettis’ ornately tattooed back was up against the wall, and in no small manner. In 2015, Pettis was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport – and also one
Prior to last night’s (Sat., August 27, 2016) UFC on FOX 21 from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, former UFC lightweight champion Anthony ‘Showtime’s Pettis’ ornately tattooed back was up against the wall, and in no small manner.
In 2015, Pettis was one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport – and also one of its most marketable figures – following two finishes over Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez, who were then thought to be the cream of the talented lightweight crop. But as the fight game has been known to do, Pettis was somewhat exposed in his next three bouts, all three losses to Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, and Edson Barboza.
Dos Anjos and, to a lesser extent, Alvarez, found that implementing a pressure-heavy wrestling game left ‘Showtime’ no space to unleash his fancy finishing moves, and he was then, his confidence potentially reeling, simply outstruck by quite possibly the best pure kickboxer at 155 pounds in Edson Barboza. The surprising downswing lead Pettis to reinvent himself in two ways; the first being switching his camp up a bit by attending Albuquerque’s Jackson-Wink Academy part-time, the second a decision to cut down to 145 pounds, a weight class Pettis has long been rumored to compete in.
He was scheduled to meet current interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo in the main event of August 2013’s UFC 163, but a knee injury, which some deemed auspicious given that ‘Showtime’ fought and submitted Henderson exactly four weeks later at UFC 164, saw the dream match called off. But that was when he was in prime bargaining position as one of MMA’s most coveted future stars; his move down to featherweight last night was now out of necessity.
And he was given no easy welcome mat to the featherweight arena; no, he was immediately matched against ultra-tricky Brazilian jiu-jitsu whiz Charles Oliveira, a competitor who had submitted four out of his previous six opponents. “Showtime” found a home for his vicious kicks early as many expected (highlights here), bludgeoning “Do Bronx” with his trademark body work to drop the Brazilian early on and dangerously follow with punches on the ground. While he was no doubt playing with fire, Pettis later said he punched Oliveira unconscious and the strikes that followed woke him up.
But it was how Pettis responded to that adversity that proves he may be a contender at 145 pounds. “Do Bronx” came back in a big way in the second round, hitting Pettis with varied Muay Thai strikes and taking his back on several occasions. Pettis showed jaw-dropping poise when put in bad positions in his opponent’s glaring strong point, surviving dire positions from a fighter who is one of the more lethal submission threats in the sport.
Turning the tables on more than one occasion, Pettis scored a crucial statement win with a third round guillotine, ironically the move that Oliveira had secured his last two wins with. “Showtime” had finally won a dogfight, and he dug deep to persevere despite admitting he was tired from throwing heavy punches in the first. The performance was indicative of a champion’s heart, something that was clearly lacking in his recent downswing at lightweight, and he did it versus the No. 6-ranked competitor.
“Showtime” is back in the mix in a new division, and indeed there are some huge fights available. That’s not to say he’ll be unstoppable, because he won’t – Oliveira took him down much easier as he got tired in the late second and third rounds, but truly blockbuster bouts with fighters like Conor McGregor, Aldo, and Max Holloway would be just what Pettis needs to start “Showtime” back up again.
Of course Pettis will have to continue to shore up the deficiencies in his game, namely wrestling an dealing with pressure, yet there could be man better for helping him do that than Greg Jackson. But the fact that he submitted a top contender known for well, submitting everyone else, bodes well for his future at 145 overall.
He’ll probably always have a problem with the most accomplished wrestlers, but luckily for him, the top three of his new home (excluding a match-up against Frankie Edgar) is populated with big names who are predominantly strikers. Pettis could find himself in a fight with Cub Swanson before he is granted a bout against one of the top three, especially while the muddy featherweight title scene is sorted out.
No matter what fight Pettis gets next, however, the future is bright for him at 145 pounds. Who do you think he should fight next?
