Anthony Pettis Heaps Praise on Former Opponent Charles Oliveira

Anthony Pettis is getting ready to head into the UFC cage once again in 2020. We last saw Pettis locked in battle against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone at UFC 249. While he has sat out most of the year, Pettis will be returning in a high-risk clash with Alex Morono. A loss for him could mean bad things for his future, especially after all the cuts the UFC is already planning on making.

However, Pettis is a former lightweight champion for a reason. While he isn’t in that same championship form anymore, no one can take that away from him. Pettis in his prime beat Charles ‘do Bronx’ Oliviera, who recently beat Tony Ferguson. Pettis, who has fought both men (lost to Ferguson at UFC 229) gave his thoughts on Oliveria’s performance.

“Amazing performance. I didn’t know how to call that one because I fought Oliviera and I fought Ferguson… They are both different styles, but Oliviera is on fire right now. I think his overall MMA game is coming together perfectly.”

Pettis openly praising his former opponent is a good sight to see. His observations on ‘do Bronx’s’ improvement is spot-on, especially after he out-pointed Tony Ferguson on the feet in their fight.

Anthony Pettis: Can he climb back up the rankings?

A win over Morono can help Pettis come closer to the extremely competitive title scene in the division right now. It would be fun to see an OG like Pettis in that mix, especially because he is a former champion and has a win over Oliveira.

However, the climb for Pettis is certainly going to be long. There are a lot of fighters he still has to go through to get back to the top, and it is fair to question how long Pettis will be competing at this level. A loss against Morono could severely shorten that window for the champion. However, a win will make everyone feel better.

It would be a wild scenario if ‘Showtime’ progresses enough to face Oliveira again. However, that is all in the future and Pettis should focus on the fight he has today.