Anthony Pettis came into last night’s fight against Charles Oliveira on a three fight losing streak. He dropped to 145 and put in an impressive comeback performance. He said those three losses motivated him to change his approach.
“I had a rough patch, three fights in a row I wasn’t used to that,” he said last night at the post-event press conference. “I lost two fights my whole career and then three back-to-back. I needed to do some soul searching, figure out what drives me, what motivates me to do this.”
He said the cut to 145 went well, but he’s wasn’t sure until he did it. “I felt good, very powerful. I didn’t know if I could make the weight, to be honest. I was like 146, never seen it before. We made the weight and now we’ll map it out. I’m just happy to be back in the win column.”
The weight cut and performance went well enough, he’s considering staying there. “I think ’45 is an option I wanna explore. I felt comfortable, I just need to make some adjustments and make sure the nutrition is right.”
Cervantes Thoughts: Pettis was in dire need of a victory tonight as a fourth loss would have likely meant his departure from the UFC. If his performance tonight marks a return to form, it means a second chance in a new weight class where there are many exciting fights to be had for him. By finishing a top ten opponent in Charles Oliveira in a new division, Pettis is right back in the mix.
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