10 Things You Need To Know Ahead Of UFC 213
6. Anthony Pettis Needs To Stop The Bleeding
Once argued as the pound for pound #1 in UFC, Anthony Pettis' career has taken numerous backwards steps over the past couple of years. He lost the lightweight title at UFC 185 to Rafael dos Anjos, and has never really got back on track.
He'd go onto lose to Eddie Alvarez and Edson Barboza before deciding to drop to featherweight. He guillotined Charles Oliveira in his featherweight debut, but after being inserted into an interim title fight with Max Holloway, disaster struck. Weighing in at 148 pounds, it became a weird "half-title fight" and Holloway put him away comfortably.
This will be Pettis' first fight back at 155, and in Jim Miller, he's got a game opponent who won't let him coast to victory. Miller will try to pressure Pettis and make him uncomfortable fighting on the back foot. If Pettis has any self doubt about his ability to get back to the top, Miller can take advantage. This is a real test for a former champion to get back on track.