In some news that was swept under the rug this past weekend due to all the excitement of UFC 129, UFC President Dana White confirmed that final WEC Lightweight Champion, Anthony Pettis, is still the No. 1 contender for the UFC title.
The lightweight division in the UFC may be the most stacked of any and it is starting to get crowded at the top.
Pettis was originally scheduled to get a crack at the title following Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard’s title fight at UFC 125, but a draw left the whole division wondering what was next.
White scheduled a third bout between Edgar and Maynard, which takes place at UFC 130 on May 28. Following that contest, Pettis will be the new No. 1 contender according to MMAWeekly.com, who spoke with White.
“It’s Pettis,” UFC President Dana White confirmed when asked who would be getting the next crack at the championship.
The confirmation obviously gives Pettis extra motivation going into the June fight with Clay Guida. A win guarantees a title shot, likely towards the end of 2011.
Pettis won’t focus on the title shot at this time though because the business at hand is beating Guida. Without that, White’s declaration of his title shot doesn’t even matter.
Pettis meets Guida at the Ultimate Fighter Season 13 Finale on Saturday, June 4. It will be Pettis’ toughest test to date and his first bout in nearly six months.


Draws are hard to come by in a MMA fight—especially bouts in the UFC.