Understanding voices are few and far between atop both the lightweight and featherweight divisions as Conor McGregor’s ambitions resulted in him holding up the title picture in one weight class while leapfrogging top contenders in another.
Jose Aldo is pissed. Khabib Nurmagomedov is pissed. And there are varying levels of irritation the further down the rankings you travel.
But there is at least one fighter who is not too upset with McGregor’s decision to face off with Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight strap rather than defend the featherweight title he claimed last December.
Anthony Pettis, recently converted to the weight class at which McGregor is top dog, has admitted that he is not put out by the division-hopping ways of ‘The Notorious’ as he wanted to do something similar when he was the 155lbs belt holder.
“I was trying to do that when I was champ. I called out Jose Aldo right after I won the belt at lightweight, it was supposed to happen, it didn’t happen for reasons,” Pettis said on UFC Tonight. “I think right now, Conor he’s doing his thing. He’s a guy that’s winning fights, he’s knocking guys out, he’s fighting guys like Nate Diaz but he’s winning fights, what can you say.”
The fact that the UFC has allowed McGregor to seemingly call the shots, at the expense of defending his title, has gotten both Aldo and Nurmagomedov so worked up that both have threatened to walk away from the Octagon if they don’t get the title shots they feel they deserve
But Pettis is well aware that the UFC is more concerned about pay-per-view draws than they are caught up with contention according to the rankings.
“When I won the belt, the first thing I said was ‘Jose Aldo we have unfinished business’. That was my plan way back when I was the champ,” Pettis added. “He’s selling the tickets, he’s selling the fights, he’s winning the fights and people want to watch him fight.”
And amid the retirement talk of Aldo, largely considered a negotiating tactic to get his way, ‘Showtime’ has offered his services to the Brazilian former long-time featherweight champion.
“If Jose Aldo wants it, I’m ready to go,” Pettis said. “I think he’s more frustrated than actually trying to retire. I don’t think he’s going to retire where he’s at right now. He obviously wants that (Conor) fight back, Conor’s busy, I’m there. I think that’s the fight that makes sense for him.
“I know he wants to sell pay-per-views and I think my name with his name makes a big fight.”
