Despite losing his lightweight title via a five-round thrashing at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos in March at UFC 185, Anthony Pettis hasn't shed the bull's eye on his back.
According to MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani during a recent episode of UFC Tonight (via MMAFighting.com's Dave Doyle), lightweight fighters Eddie Alvarez and Edson Barboza each offered to fight Pettis when he makes his return to the Octagon.
The former champ underwent elbow surgery in May and has been out of action since, but that hasn't really affected his standing in the division. Alvarez and Barboza clearly know he's still one of the best, a big name and they want to elevate their own stock with an impressive win over him.
Ranked No. 4 and No. 7 in the division, respectively, Alvarez and Barboza are realistic opponents for Pettis' return, too.
While Pettis is still ranked No. 1 just under Dos Anjos, No. 2 Donald Cerrone is booked to fight for the title in December at UFC on Fox 17, while No. 3 Khabib Nurmagomedov will take on Tony Ferguson at The Ultimate Fighter 22 finale on Dec. 11.
This takes us to Alvarez at No. 4.
Beyond him, No. 5 Michael Johnson will fight Nate Diaz on the same Dec. 19 Fox card as Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone, while No. 6 Benson Henderson is a welterweight and will face former title challenger Thiago Alves on Nov. 28 in South Korea.
That brings us to the other man calling out Pettis: Barboza.
Given the current state of the 155-pound division, it's easy to see why these two fighters specifically have thrown their hat into the Pettis race.
They're the most reasonable options for the former champ, and stylistically, any fight involving any combination of Pettis, Alvarez and Barboza would provide fireworks.
Pettis vs. Barboza would feature the two most dynamic and explosive kickers in the division going head-to-head in a likely stand-up masterclass, while Alvarez brings a gritty, well-rounded attack to the table that most recently earned him a victory over Gilbert Melendez at UFC 188.
No matter how this shakes out, if we see either of these matchups in the near future, we all win.
Stay tuned to Bleacher Report as the situation develops.
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