A dismal performance at the UFC 185 weekend caused Anthony Pettis to lose his UFC lightweight title to Rafael Dos Anjos. To add salt to the wounds, Pettis also broke his orbital bone in the process, sidelining him for at least six weeks from even minor action.
So bad was his condition after the fight that he had to get checked up at the hospital and stayed in Dallas until Tuesday. After the swelling finally went down, Pettis flew home, licking his wounds and in sorrow over his defeat.
Pettis claimed afterwards that the punch to his eye at the beginning of the bout distorted his vision and kept him from building any rhythm through the rest of the fight.
Professional fighters are known to target the area just above the eye at the beginning of the fight. Drawing blood there virtually guarantees victory and Dos Anjos executed the plan to perfection.
It was in fact the punch that broke the orbital bone that Pettis now has to recover from in order to mount a comeback for his lost UFC lightweight title. His manager Mike Roberts has stated in UFC Tonight that the former champion is surely out for at least one-and-a-half month before he reconvenes back to training.
The fight was rather anti-climactic and did not live up to its hype. It also came as a big shock to fans as they were rooting for Pettis to successfully defend his title following his impressive five-match winning streak.
