Late last month, news broke that Anthony Pettis had parted ways with the UFC. It appears that the former lightweight champion already has some big fights in mind to take place in other sports and organizations. New reports even claim we could see Anthony Pettis fight Jake Paul sometime in the near future.
Jake Paul has turned into one of combat sports’ most loathed individuals. Some of the best fighters in the world are now pushing for a bout against the YouTube personality. Today, we’re going to talk about what could lead to a fight against Anthony Pettis coming together.
Let’s get into it!
Anthony Pettis Announces His Departure From the UFC
Back in June of 2011, Anthony Pettis made his much-anticipated UFC debut. Fans had high hopes for the young striker. He was entering the promotion as the WEC champion and had shown moments of brilliance in the cage.
His debut did not go as planned. To the surprise of just about everyone and all UFC betting websites, Pettis was defeated via unanimous decision by Clay Guida. He showed some holes in his game and some began wondering if he was truly at the elite level of the sport.
Over the next three years, “Showtime” proved that he was one of the best lightweights in MMA. He finally captured the UFC lightweight title in August of 2013. He then earned one title defense a year later.
Since that time, Pettis has alternated between wins and losses. After nearly a decade, he officially announced that he was parting ways with the UFC. Like many other fighters, Anthony preferred to test free agency and is now interested in signing with another promotion.
Some were surprised to hear that Anthony was moving to another organization. Others felt it was the perfect move at this stage of his career. As of now, it’s still unclear where and when Pettis will be competing again.
It seems that a move into the boxing ring isn’t out of the question for Anthony. He even has a particular opponent in mind.
Don’t be Surprised to See Anthony Pettis Fight Jake Paul Soon
Anthony Pettis may not have lived up to the hype that some fans bestowed on him early on in his career. He recorded wins over some of the best fighters in the sport, though, and was always competitive in the cage. He will leave the UFC with an impressive body of work behind him.
Jake Paul can’t boast that level of success as a fighter. Unfortunately, he seems to feel that he belongs in the same category as legitimate fighters. Since his victory over former NBA player Nate Robinson, Paul has been calling out some of the best fighters in the world.
To the annoyance of many fans, Jake does not seem willing to compete against any legitimate boxers in his weight class. Instead, he’s challenging MMA grapplers like Ben Askren and Dillon Danis. It’s still unclear who Jake will be competing against the next time he steps into the ring.
Anthony Pettis is now throwing his name into the mix of possible next opponents for Jake Paul. He spoke about his future plans to TMZ last week. During the conversation, he hinted that a move into boxing could be on the horizon.
“Bro, I would love to box. I haven’t boxed yet, so I’m 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That’s why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching Chavez, De La Hoya, Mayweather, all these guys up and coming,” Pettis said. “I think he’s [Jake Paul] definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It’s going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it.”
Money talks, and Anthony Pettis remains a huge name in MMA. That could possibly lead to fans seeing Anthony Pettis fight Jake Paul sometime this year. Whether or not Jake would take the risk fighting a legitimate striker is unknown, though.
Most combat sports fans want to see Jake Paul lose. Anthony Pettis might be the man to make that happen. We’ll continue offering updates on this matchup over the next few months!
Ryan Garcia is Bringing New Life to Boxing’s Lightweight Division
The sport of boxing is filled with exciting champions right now. In recent years, the lightweight division has improved exponentially. There are now many incredible lightweights at the top of the sport’s pound-for-pound rankings.
This past weekend, 22-year-old Ryan Garcia proved he’s a legitimate lightweight champion by knocking out former Olympic gold medalist Luke Campbell. It was one of the most exciting fights in years. Garcia showed toughness after being knocked down and finished one of the best lightweights in the sport.
Many fans are now trying to debate who Garcia should face off against next. The WBC is ordering him to face off against Devin Haney. As we’ve seen in the past, however, these orders don’t always come together.
Some also believe that Garcia is ready for a mega-fight against Gervonta Davis. Ryan and “Tank” have been verbally sparring for years. Some feel that Davis is still too experienced and skilled for Garcia at this stage of his career.
Boxing is as exciting as it’s ever been. It now seems like we could see Anthony Pettis fight Jake Paul sometime in the future. Sites like BetOnline are sure to offer odds on this matchup if it ends up being announced!
Do you want to see Anthony Pettis fighting Jake Paul? Let us know in the comments section below!
Kevin Oldroyd
A longtime sports and gambling enthusiast, Kevin looks to present up-to-date and reliable information for readers. If he’s not writing, he’s probably watching MMA or playing blackjack. …
