After being dominated by Max Holloway following a brutal weight cut in which he failed to make weight, Anthony Pettis is officially returning to lightweight.
In the the post-fight interview in the octagon Pettis spoke about the difficulties of making 145 lbs. “It’s too much to make the cut,” Pettis said. “I was dying from the weight cut. They literally had to pull me out of the sauna. I depleted my body. It’s too much to cut. I can’t make the 145 weight cut. It’s too hard.”
Although he broke his hand early on, Pettis made no excuses for his loss and credited Holloway for his performance. “The first punch,” Pettis said. “The first punch I hit him, hit the top of his head, broke my hand. It’s swollen right here. I gotta go deal with that sh–. But Max Holloway is a beast, bro. Give the dude credit. He stood with me and he got the belt, man”.
Pettis leaves ranked fifth in the division with a 1-1 record.
Cervantes Analysis: It would’ve been a nightmare for the UFC had Pettis won because it would have left no clear contender for Jose Aldo and would have made stripping McGregor a waste. This was also good for Pettis because he found out that cutting to 145 is not something he can safely do. Unfortunately, he will have to return to a division that saw him lose three straight before dropping to Featherweight. He has has fallen far from the fighter he once was and I doubt he’ll fare much better in his return.
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