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Anthony Pettis open to superfights against Conor McGregor, Jose Aldo
By Ryan McKinnell
1 hour ago
Cagewriter
Conor McGregor has turned heads in 2015, not only with his entertaining fights inside the cage, but with his fiery work on the microphone as well.
Earlier this month, the UFC’s interim featherweight champion went on a venomous tirade at the company’s “Go Big” media event in Las Vegas. Out of the dozen or so fighters on the dais, few, if any, escaped the Irishman’s ire.
Of course, there was Jose Aldo – who received his fair share of audio bytes from McGregor. Lightweights Donald Cerrone and champ Rafael dos Anjos were also subjected to their fair share of insults.
McGregor barked at everyone in sight, and proclaimed that once he was finished with Aldo in December, he would move up and destroy the lightweights – and that they should thank him in advance for doing so.
“When you sign to fight me, it's a celebration,” McGregor said. “You ring back home, you ring your wife, 'Baby, we've done it. We're rich, baby. Conor McGregor made us rich. Break out the red panties. We're rich, baby.' So don't say you wouldn't take that fight, because you would take that fight like everyone else up here would take the fight against me if it was offered, regardless of belts or any of that [expletive]. I'm the money fight and the male [expletive] at all weight divisions. So [expletive] everybody else up here."
One man with a rich history in the lightweight division is former champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
Pettis is currently scheduled to meet Eddie Alvarez in January. In his last fight, Pettis lost his UFC title to dos Anjos back in March at UFC 185.
Pettis was not in attendance at the "Go Big" press conference, so he didn’t have a chance to defend himself or his division, like, say Donald Cerrone.
That doesn’t mean he wasn’t listening, though.
And now, courtesy of GnP1.de, the former champ is sounding off on the brash proclamations made by McGregor.
"It's all talk until it happens, man,” Pettis said to GnP1.de (courtesy of Bloody Elbow). “He talks well. He's doing a great job for his weight class. I mean, there would be no big money fights in featherweight, besides... that's why I was gonna move down there. Me and Aldo was gonna be a big money fight for Aldo, but now with Conor McGregor in there, talking himself up, making himself marketable. Good for him doing that, but lightweight is a whole different place. It's not featherweight. Featherweight is... I mean, besides Aldo, there's not much..., I mean, there is talent, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, (but) lightweight is the deepest division in the UFC, it's a totally different story. For him to say he's gonna come up there and walk through everybody, it's crazy.
“He's only beat Chad Mendes, one guy in the featherweight class that's top five. I mean, featherweight has always been an option. I want my belt back, that's my main goal. You know, I'm doing well financially, I'm not hurting at all. So for me, the goal right now is getting my belt back. What happens after that fight, we'll see. People wanna see McGregor, I'll fight McGregor, people wanna see Aldo, I'll fight Aldo, that's what it's all about."
Prior to the dos Anjos defeat, Pettis was on the fast track to UFC superstardom. There was a Wheaties box, a fresh new UFC contract, magazine covers and all the adoration that comes along with being the champ. You could go so far as to say he was an American version of McGregor – at least as far as inside the Octagon is concerned.
Now, it seems as if McGregor lit a fuse inside Pettis. Outside of Jose Aldo, Pettis hasn’t seemed that interested in any talks of ‘superfights.’
Ultimately, he still needs to take care of a tough opponent in Eddie Alvarez come January, but the thought of a McGregor-Pettis fight, on paper, could really get some heads (and feet) spinning.
By Ryan McKinnell
1 hour ago
Cagewriter
Conor McGregor has turned heads in 2015, not only with his entertaining fights inside the cage, but with his fiery work on the microphone as well.
Earlier this month, the UFC’s interim featherweight champion went on a venomous tirade at the company’s “Go Big” media event in Las Vegas. Out of the dozen or so fighters on the dais, few, if any, escaped the Irishman’s ire.
Of course, there was Jose Aldo – who received his fair share of audio bytes from McGregor. Lightweights Donald Cerrone and champ Rafael dos Anjos were also subjected to their fair share of insults.
McGregor barked at everyone in sight, and proclaimed that once he was finished with Aldo in December, he would move up and destroy the lightweights – and that they should thank him in advance for doing so.
“When you sign to fight me, it's a celebration,” McGregor said. “You ring back home, you ring your wife, 'Baby, we've done it. We're rich, baby. Conor McGregor made us rich. Break out the red panties. We're rich, baby.' So don't say you wouldn't take that fight, because you would take that fight like everyone else up here would take the fight against me if it was offered, regardless of belts or any of that [expletive]. I'm the money fight and the male [expletive] at all weight divisions. So [expletive] everybody else up here."
One man with a rich history in the lightweight division is former champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
Pettis is currently scheduled to meet Eddie Alvarez in January. In his last fight, Pettis lost his UFC title to dos Anjos back in March at UFC 185.
Pettis was not in attendance at the "Go Big" press conference, so he didn’t have a chance to defend himself or his division, like, say Donald Cerrone.
That doesn’t mean he wasn’t listening, though.
And now, courtesy of GnP1.de, the former champ is sounding off on the brash proclamations made by McGregor.
"It's all talk until it happens, man,” Pettis said to GnP1.de (courtesy of Bloody Elbow). “He talks well. He's doing a great job for his weight class. I mean, there would be no big money fights in featherweight, besides... that's why I was gonna move down there. Me and Aldo was gonna be a big money fight for Aldo, but now with Conor McGregor in there, talking himself up, making himself marketable. Good for him doing that, but lightweight is a whole different place. It's not featherweight. Featherweight is... I mean, besides Aldo, there's not much..., I mean, there is talent, Frankie Edgar, Chad Mendes, (but) lightweight is the deepest division in the UFC, it's a totally different story. For him to say he's gonna come up there and walk through everybody, it's crazy.
“He's only beat Chad Mendes, one guy in the featherweight class that's top five. I mean, featherweight has always been an option. I want my belt back, that's my main goal. You know, I'm doing well financially, I'm not hurting at all. So for me, the goal right now is getting my belt back. What happens after that fight, we'll see. People wanna see McGregor, I'll fight McGregor, people wanna see Aldo, I'll fight Aldo, that's what it's all about."
Prior to the dos Anjos defeat, Pettis was on the fast track to UFC superstardom. There was a Wheaties box, a fresh new UFC contract, magazine covers and all the adoration that comes along with being the champ. You could go so far as to say he was an American version of McGregor – at least as far as inside the Octagon is concerned.
Now, it seems as if McGregor lit a fuse inside Pettis. Outside of Jose Aldo, Pettis hasn’t seemed that interested in any talks of ‘superfights.’
Ultimately, he still needs to take care of a tough opponent in Eddie Alvarez come January, but the thought of a McGregor-Pettis fight, on paper, could really get some heads (and feet) spinning.