The strange case of Anthony Pettis

This is the strange case of a budding superstar who suddenly and inexplicably lost his way.
Anthony Pettis made consecutive wins over Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson and Gilbert Melendez look easy, cementing himself as one of the finest mixed martial artists in the world.

The potential that was displayed oh so many years ago when he was a teenager trying to find his way had finally bubbled to the surface. He moved quickly, effortlessly, gracefully, and appeared a cut above the rest.

He knocked out Cerrone with a vicious kick to the body. He submitted Henderson with an arm bar to win the UFC lightweight belt. And he choked out Melendez in the second round of his first title defense, capping a two-year streak in which he was untouchable and seemingly unbeatable.
And then, well, who knows?

Pettis is back in the title picture, and on Saturday can become only the fourth man in UFC history to hold title belts in two separate weight classes in a career when he faces Max Holloway for the interim featherweight title at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto in the retrofit main event of UFC 206.

But Pettis is coming into that title shot with a 1-3 record in his last four outings, strange territory for a guy who was all about winning. He lost his title in a one-sided bludgeoning at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 on March 14, 2015. He was beaten by Eddie Alvarez in January and then by Edson Barboza in April.

His decline has been one of the difficult-to-figure stories of the last 20 months, how Pettis went from superstar-in-waiting following in the line of legends such as Jesse Owens, Lou Gehrig, Willie Mays and Walter Payton on the cover of Wheaties boxes to a struggling fighter so in need of a win his coach was considering resignation.

When Pettis faced Charles Oliveira in August in his debut at featherweight, coach Duke Roufus was prepared to quit if he lost for a fourth time in a row.

“If Anthony Pettis would have lost his last fight, I was going to stop coaching,” Roufus said on “The MMA Hour.” “He had his back against the wall [and] I had my back against the wall. And, I’m serious. That’s how much this kid’s life means to me. But that’s how invested I am as a coach.”

Roufus didn’t have to quit, because Pettis submitted Oliveira in the third with a guillotine, but it still doesn’t adequately reflect how Pettis had been booted from the lightweight division following three consecutive losses and how he’s a 2-to-1 underdog against Holloway.

“I don’t know because it’s hard to understand,” UFC president Dana White said of Pettis’ struggles. “It’s weird in this sport. You can look so dominant for a period of time and then, just like that, it’s over. Remember a while back, everybody was talking about the ‘Lyoto Machida Era.’ You just never know in this sport, and that’s what is so great about it. Guys look great and all of a sudden, they’re on the decline.

“I’m not saying Pettis is on the decline, but he’s had a rough stretch. How do I explain it? I don’t. How about RDA? If you saw him in that Pettis fight, he was like a world-beater and then what happened? This sport can do that to guys. [Pettis] is still a young guy and he’s got time, but I don’t get it.”

Pettis will turn 30 in January, which is certainly not old, but history shows that most high-level athletes have their greatest success between the ages of 26 and 29.

In a way, Pettis is bucking that trend, and despite the critical win over Oliveira, he’s still not certain what caused the losing skein or whether he’s turned the proverbial corner.

“I don’t know, man,” Pettis said. “I’ve been around this sport a long time and I’ve had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I’ll say this: The win over Oliveira really helped my confidence. I went from barely ever losing in my life to [losing] three in a row. It’s life-changing. I had to get through that spot to get to this spot and I responded and I feel I’m coming on.”

The one thing that Pettis knows as well as anyone is that words are meaningless. He could talk about all the soul searching he’s done, about the efforts he’s made in the gym, about the dedication he’s shown to getting back on top.

But until he resembles the old Anthony Pettis once again – flashy, dominant and smooth – his words will mean little. A three-fight losing streak brings with it doubts and the whisper campaign that is hard to ignore: Is he still good enough? Does he still have it? Will he ever be the same?

Pettis, unsurprisingly, believes he will. In Holloway, he’s facing a man nearly five years younger who is basically in the place now that Pettis was at 25. Holloway has reeled off nine consecutive wins since a 2013 loss to Conor McGregor and is a burgeoning star.

He’s on top of the world, preening for all to see, and is a solid favorite over an ex-champion. Pettis understands he needs to deliver.

“The fight is what defines us as far as the public is concerned,” he said. “But people don’t see you practice. They don’t see the good and they don’t see the bad. We all learn this at some point, but you’re only as good as your last fight. But I know my ability. I know how good I am and what I’m capable of doing.

“It’s a matter of going out there and putting it all together and doing it. I’ve put a lot into this training camp and I believe it’s going to pay off.”

He may never have that Derek Jeter-cool image again that he once had, but that’s OK with Pettis.

He’s on the verge of accomplishing something special, and the second opportunity to achieve greatness is motivating.

“That’s what is driving this,” he said. “The chance to be a two-division champion, to do something like that, is important. I have fought the best in the world at 155 and now I’m fighting the best at 145. I’ve made the sacrifices and done the work to have gotten to where I am, and now it’s a matter of performing.”