Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Who should Anthony Pettis face next after an unsuccessful UFC debut? Hansen, Amadi, Hobaugh, Hyden, Williams and Penick
Jun 9, 2011 - 1:45:58 PM ROUNDTABLE: Who should Anthony Pettis face next after an unsuccessful UFC debut? Hansen, Amadi, Hobaugh, Hyden, Williams and Penick

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Who do you want to see Anthony Pettis face next after an unsuccessful UFC debut?


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I certainly wouldn't mind seeing Pettis-Henderson 2, just because the first fight was so damned good.  But that seems unlikely.  If you want to put him against a striker, how about Edson Barboza?  If Melvin Guillard loses to Shane Roller at UFC 132, I sign him the very next day to fight Pettis.  The loser of the Dennis Siver - Matt Wiman fight also makes a ton of sense.

If you want to pit Pettis against a grappler, how about Evan Dunham or Sean Sherk, depending on each guy's health.

And if you want to put Pettis in a position to get his first UFC win (lest we forget he is winless in the UFC), how about a fight between Pettis and Mac Danzig or Takanori Gomi?

Notice that by listing about 42 different names, I have skillfully avoiding this very tricky question.  Smoooooooooth.

JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
 
Despite the loss to Clay Guida, Anthony Pettis is still high profile enough to face another contender coming off a loss, and the lightweight division is rife with those at the moment. With all of the title eliminators the UFC has been doing as of late they could match him up with anyone ranging from Evan Dunham to the loser of the upcoming Jim Miller-Ben Henderson. The Evan Dunham matchup is probably the most appropriate, given the time frame and the possibility of excitement.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I would love to see him fight B.J. Penn if he would fight again at lightweight.  Dennis Siver would be an excellent fight as well.  He needs to go back to the drawing board.  Being the best in the WEC is not the same at being the best in the UFC. Dennis Siver would let us know where Pettis stacks up in the UFC.

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I'd like to see him fight Dennis Siver or Melvin Guillard. I think Siver is a really good fighter, and would be a big test for Pettis. Guillard would also be a big test for Pettis. They're both fights I'd like to see.
 
ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

If George Sotiropoulos defeats Rafael dos Anjos, I would have Anthony Pettis fight Sotiropoulos.  Sotiropoulos was on a tear before his upset loss to Dennis Siver.  The winner would be in the mix of top fighters at 155 pounds.

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

There is absolutely no shortage of potential top flight opponents for Pettis to face. Though he lost out on a title shot in the division with the decision loss to Guida, he still remains an immense talent; he's just got some weaknesses he needs to shore up before he's ready to be in the elite of the elite. With that said, my top choice would be Melvin Guillard, as that just has the potential to be an all out battle. Other very legitimate options would be Dennis Siver, George Sotiropoulos, Evan Dunham, Sean Sherk, and even Nate Diaz as he returns to the lightweight division. There are a lot of exciting fights to be had for a fighter like Pettis, and he just needs to work on his wrestling some more and hopefully come back even better his next time in the Octagon.