Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis wants to get back into the contender's circle as soon as possible.
In a since-deleted tweet (which can still be seen at BloodyElbow.com), Pettis expressed his desire for a "real fight" in the wake of his loss to Eddie Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 81. The phrasing is presumably in reference to the smothering style that Alvarez used to neutralize Pettis' usually flashy striking game.
The fight ended in a close split-decision in favor of Alvarez. As a result, Pettis has found himself on the first losing skid of his career. He was hoping for a big win to vault himself back into a title shot, but instead he's been thrust back into the pack of a loaded lightweight division.
Although Pettis was noticeably frustrated with the outcome, he did not overtly criticize Alvarez's approach. Pettis took responsibility for his loss in an Instagram post on Monday:
