Few fighters would do what Anthony Pettis did: skip a guaranteed title shot rather than risk an extended layoff. When UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard fought to a draw at UFC 125 and prompted a third meeting, Pettis – the WEC's final lightweight champion – was forced to wait for his shot.
But was his decision to fight Clay Guida in the meantime a good one?
That's the question we asked in our latest MMAjunkie.com/"Inside MMA" poll, the results of which were revealed on Friday's new episode of the weekly HDNet show.
And an overwhelming majority – 82 percent in all – believe Pettis made the right decision. Only 18 percent question it.
As MMAjunkie.com reported on Friday, the Pettis vs. Guida fight headlines The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale, an event that takes place June 4 in Las Vegas and airs on Spike TV.
Pettis, of course, earned a guaranteed UFC title shot by defeating then-champ Ben Henderson at December's WEC 53 event, the final show in WEC history. He then was slated to fight the Edgar vs. Maynard winner in an unofficial title-unification bout, but the UFC 125 draw resulted in their third meeting, which takes place at UFC 130.
Pettis is expected to get his title shot if he gets by Guida, a surging fighter who could leapfrog him if he pulls off the upset. Additionally, a Pettis loss could open the door for either Jim Miller or George Sotiropoulos, fellow contenders who each arguably are an upcoming win away from title shots of their own.
So with such a crowded field, did the voters make the right call? Did Pettis do the right thing? State your case in the comments section below.
Additionally, don't forget to vote in this week's new poll on the MMAjunkie.com homepage. We want to know if Strikeforce welterweight champion Nick Diaz and middleweight champ Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza's belts are safe at next weekend's "Strikeforce: Diaz vs. Cyborg" event.
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