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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
A night of shocking moments at UFC 156 didn't stop in the cage, as UFC President Dana White revealed at the post-fight press conference that he received a text from top lightweight contender Anthony Pettis expressing interest in a fight with Jose Aldo.
Pettis has been promised a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship following the Ben Henderson-Gilbert Melendez fight, but with that fight not happening until April, Pettis is interested in keeping himself busy. On top of that, he's not abandoning plans for the Lightweight Championship, as trainer Duke Roufus said on Monday that Pettis still wants that fight as well.
"What if the guy who wins the Henderson-Melendez fight gets hurt or it's a close decision, when does [Pettis] fight?? Roufus said in an interview with ESPN.com. ?He's been in that situation before. So, he's a little gun shy about that. What if the guy who wins the [Benson] Henderson-[Gilbert] Melendez fight gets hurt or it's a close decision, when does [Pettis] fight?"
"Besides, he's coming into the prime of his life. He wants to fight now. He'd fight next week if [the UFC] gives him a body; that's his attitude. He'd fight three more times this year if you could. He wants both. He wants to fight Aldo and then fight for the Lightweight Title. I'm all for it if he wants to do it. I think he matches up great with Aldo."
Roufus believes Pettis hasn't reached anywhere near his potential in MMA, and sees a drive from his protege to become one of the great fighters in the sport's history.
"He has reached that stage of his career and life where he realizes what gets him up are big challenges," Roufus said. "I see the hunger in his attitude and performance daily in training, his lifestyle. He wants big things and he wants them now."
"He wants to put himself up there with guys like [Middleweight Champion] Anderson Silva, who go out there and win big fights."
Penick's Analysis: If Pettis is allowed to go down after Aldo's title, then up to lightweight to go after that championship as well, it'd be an opportunity to assert himself as one of the greatest fighters currently competing in the sport. He's got the skill set to accomplish a lot, and given Aldo's never faced a striker the likes of Pettis, he might be the man to dethrone him. He already holds a win over Henderson, and though the current UFC Lightweight Champion has improved greatly since their first meeting, Pettis' win over Donald Cerrone just over a week ago showed off how far his dangerous striking game has come as well. Pettis-Aldo could be an incredible fight, and if both are ready to go by May, that's a fight that could very well happen.
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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_15838.shtml
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