Bart Palaszewski in the WEC and then again to veteran Clay Guida in his UFC debut. He bounced back from the loss to Palaszewski by winning the WEC title in the final bout in the organization’s history, punctuating his performance with “The Showtime Kick” before replicating the feat in the UFC as well.
Both times it took him four fights to reach the top of the division and both times he defeated Benson Henderson to get there, but this time around, the first loss was followed by a second and then a third and the former champion was left scrambling.
“Anybody in that position is going to reach for any lifeline they can get – different division, different training, different conditioning, different diet, different weight class,” said Pettis. “I had to try to change everything – went to different camps, starting training harder and dumber and more.”
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While he was successful in his featherweight debut, the cut to 145 pounds was daunting and he failed to make weight for his interim title clash with Max Holloway at UFC 206. Not only did the stoppage loss send him back to the division he once ruled, but it also prompted Pettis to take some time off in order to rebuild his body, reconnect with his long-time coach Duke Roufus and recommit himself to the strong fundamentals that served as the foundation for his flashy style and previous title reigns.
Nearly seven months to the day after losing to Holloway, Pettis returned to the Octagon, returned to the lightweight division and returned to the win column, collecting a unanimous decision victory over Jim Miller at UFC 213 in Las Vegas.
There was nothing remarkable about the performance – it was a solid all-around effort against a gritty veteran and exactly the type of fight Pettis needed in order to officially hit the reset button on his career.
“Jim Miller is a tough guy – he’s been a journeyman and fought some of the best in the division – but we just wanted to get that ‘W’ and look good doing it,” said Pettis, who returns to the cage this weekend in search of a second straight victory against fellow WEC alum Dustin Poirier. “I think I outclassed him on the ground, outclassed him on the feet. I hurt my hand in the fight, so I couldn’t finish him the way that I wanted to, but I adjusted, started working the left hand and the jab more. It was a good fight.”
Listening to Pettis reflect on his past struggles and this weekend’s main event assignment against Poirier, it’s clear the former lightweight champion is ready to put that chapter of his career behind him and focus on what lies ahead.
