Anthony Pettis retained his lightweight strap at UFC 181 in spectacular fashion.
Against a very game Gilbert Melendez, Pettis slipped a short right hand over Melendez's shoulder and wobbled him badly. From there, he pounced on a guillotine that forced "El Nino" to tap for the first time in his extensive MMA career.
It was Pettis' first title defense, and boy, it was a doozy. Now, of course, he aims to do it again.
Who might we see challenge Pettis next? Here are a few potential options:
Winner of Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury
While Donald Cerrone has already faced Pettis (with less-than-stellar results), his five-fight winning streak is one of the most impressive in the division today. Myles Jury is no slouch, either. The TUF15 contender has been perfect in the bigs thus far, compiling a 6-0 UFC record (15-0 total) and is coming off an electrifying knockout of Pride legend Takanori Gomi.
Cerrone's inclusion here undeniably stems from his popularity. "Cowboy" is one of the few draws in the lightweight division and represents one of the few legitimate "money" fights for Pettis. From a "lineal" or MMA math perspective, however, his losses to two of the other fighters on this list should knock him out of the running. When it comes to Jury, while still a relative unknown if he makes a particularly strong impression, he could find himself poised for a top-contender bout or an outright title shot if things fall in place.
The good thing for both men is that their fight is attached to a guaranteed blockbuster, UFC 182. Lots of eyeballs will be upon them and this will be their greatest opportunity to enter the consciousness of the casual fan's mind. The opportunity is there! One of them just needs to grab it.
Winner of Rafael dos Anjos vs. Nate Diaz
Yeah, a lot of the top lightweights are all booked up right now. Rafael dos Anjos and Nate Diaz are no different, and both find themselves with some business to handle before they can really consider a title shot.
Who do you think should face Pettis next?
Dos Anjos owns a particularly strong claim to a title shot already, given his recent win over Benson Henderson and 2013 victory over Cerrone. While Diaz has lost some momentum recently, given his long layoff and 1-2 record over his last three fights, a win over dos Anjos would put him right back into the title discussion. Then consider his sizable fanbase and tell me a Pettis vs. Diaz title fight isn't a very strong possibility in Spring 2015.
Dos Anjos and Diaz face off in the co-main event of UFC on Fox 13 next Saturday. Keep a close eye on it.
Khabib Nurmagomedov
The young man from Dagestan is an interesting commodity. He is also one hell of a fighter. Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated dos Anjos emphatically last year and, with how things have shaken out, a case could be made that he is the on-paper top contender at 155 pounds today.
Not only that, but he is the worst possible stylistic matchup there is for Pettis. We just saw Melendez find a fair bit of success against the champ (albeit before getting stopped in spectacular fashion) by attacking his well-known Achilles' heel: wrestling defense. Nurmagomedov has a stronger clinch game, and a superior double-leg takedown. That could make for a very long night for "Showtime."
What works against Nurmagomedov's title hopes, however, is a long layoff due to a knee injury that leaves his place in the fast-moving lightweight division unclear. Nurmagomedov might be the top contender, or he might not be. Either way, it is tough to imagine the UFC giving him the opportunity if they have fighters with comparably strong resumes and more drawing power.
