MMA Access: Aldo versus Pettis – Dana White Gets What He Wants
By Christopher Jester
Like a spoiled rotten kid, albeit a spoiled kid that is the president of the largest mixed martial arts organization in the world, Dana White gets what he wants. Just after Jose Aldo refused to give UFC lightweight contender a title shot at his featherweight championship, Dana White still found a way to make the fight happen. Was it the glaring threat he made at the UFC 157 post-fight conference, where he said, “He’s going to fight Pettis or he’s not going to like how this is going to turn out.” Or was it something else?
Dana White tweeted Monday that the fight was still on between Aldo and Pettis. After publicly scrutinizing the decisions of the UFC by placing fighters in other weight-classes to fight him for his championship, Jose Aldo seemed to have brought up curious questions that everyone has been asking since the first initial reaction about a Aldo versus Pettis match-up. But what made him change his mind about facing Pettis?
Tatame, a Brazilian media outlet, broke the news that the UFC obviously sweetened the deal. The stipulation is if Jose Aldo defeats Anthony Pettis, he will get an immediate title shot for the UFC lightweight championship. Yes, that is exactly what it sounds like. A championship match that has #1 contender conditions.
It almost sounds like a WWE storyline. In the WWE there is a stipulation where the “Money In the Bank” briefcase holder can cash in the briefcase at any time for an immediate title shot. Sometimes they will put on matches where the briefcase holder has to put the briefcase up for grabs. This is becoming akin to that. In this scenario, Pettis is the “Money in the Bank” holder and Aldo is challenging for it.
This has become just another radical approach to putting on fights for the UFC. Very few can doubt that an Aldo versus Pettis match-up will nothing short of spectacular, but it does have with it several consequences. The already messy title picture at featherweight will only get messier. If Aldo wins, and he moves up to lightweight, that will only leave more contenders vying for the title and having to wait until its champion returns. That will not only happen at featherweight but at lightweight as well, which is developing worthy contenders of its own.
A Pettis victory may solve those aforementioned thoughts. But nevertheless, it does bring to question, if Aldo wins does he vacate his featherweight title to move up to lightweight? It should surely clear up the traffic jam of contenders looking to get to the featherweight title, if the UFC goes this route. The UFC can simply take top contenders and put them in a title fight or mini-tournament to decide the new featherweight champion.
So, it is official: Jose Aldo versus Anthony Pettis is on. If the former wins, then he’ll get a title shot for the UFC lightweight crown. There, Aldo will get the chance to join the ranks of Randy Couture and BJ Penn as the only two men to gain a title in two different weight-classes in the UFC. The title shot situation may be getting chaotic, but the UFC is determined to put on fights that are exciting and entertaining. It may not bode well for top-contenders, but Dana White and the UFC typically get what they want.
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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