Whatever happened to Anthony "Showtime" Pettis?

Hurricane Dos Anjos happened, then he stepped down into a division full of people pissed at Conor.
 
People will say USADA, but I think it has more to do with people learning that you can't give Pettis any space to work. Smother that motherfucker and you'll break him. Barbosa not included, he was just the far slicker striker that night.
 
People figured out that constant forward pressure and putting his back against the cage negated his dynamic striking game. He's struggled to get any offense off and it cost him those decisions. He's not getting starched or anything, just losing on points.


This. Needs to figure that out though. When he does he'll be back
 
This. Needs to figure that out though. When he does he'll be back
I agree, it will be interesting to see how he re-tools his game. He could make a serious run at FW provided he works on his wrestling, specifically in the clinch. Olivera is unlikely to grind him but there are a few guys in that division that could keep him on his heels.
 
He got held down by better wrestlers mostly
 
Something else to bear in mind is the extreme amount of injuries Pettis has had. Even if we assume that he is physically 100%, there is still the likelihood that so much time out of training has led to stagnation in skill development.

Has his game technically evolved much since 2010? I can't say it has. Pettis looks the same, and should be much further along. Raw talent carried him a hell of a long way, but the further development simply has not occurred - and over a number of years now.

When you factor in the problem that he looks woefully short on confidence, the ways in which guys have devised to defeat him, his apparently very limited ability to adapt in a fight, and finally the possibility that injuries have permanently depleted him, it's a bleak picture.

I did think he did just enough to edge it against Eddie, but it was an atrocious performance. RDA battered him and against Barboza, Pettis was both too slow and lacking in the skills to pressure Edson and knock him off his game.
 
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