"He's probably even surprised he got to that spot" - Anthony Pettis weighs in on Charles Oliveira whom he beat in 2016
Anthony Pettis recently stated that he is surprised to see what Charles Oliveira has managed to achieve in the UFC.
Pettis and Oliveira fought in 2016 at UFC on FOX 21 with 'Showtime' emerging victorious via third-round submission. Pettis was a former UFC lightweight champion heading into the clash. However, their fight took place in the featherweight division.
Oliveira had a rocky run early in his UFC career. That said, the Brazilian has managed to out together an 11-fight winning streak and has also managed to capture the UFC lightweight gold. While speaking to BJPENN.com, Pettis expressed his views on Charles Oliveira as he said:
"I think he was good. His striking was a lot better than I expected. His jiu-jitsu was some of the best that UFC has ever seen. But to see what he is doing right now is amazing bro.
"He has found his rhythm, he's found his groove. He's probably even surprised he got to that spot. In MMA, it's different bro. It's not like boxing, you lose one fight you're out."
The 35-year-old further pointed out that it takes some time in MMA to put together all aspects of his game. Then, a fighter has to gain confidence to showcase his skills inside the octagon.
"In MMA it takes some time to put it all together. Then once you find it, you gotta get the confidence to match it. And then take it as far as you can go with it. And to see what he is doing right now is pretty amazing."
Watch Anthony Pettis talk about Charles Oliveira:
Anthony Pettis returns to action this weekend against Stevie Ray
Anthony Pettis is set to take on Stevie ray in a rematch at PFL MMA this weekend. The duo fought at the PFL 5 event in June. While Pettis looked like his former self in that fight, Ray managed to pull off a stunning submission win to shock the former UFC champion.
He is currently 1-3 in his four-fight stint in the organization. 'Showtime' will look to prove a point as a win in the play-offs is at stake for this weekend's fight.
Anthony Pettis is one of the biggest stars in the PFL at the moment. 'Showtime' lives up to his moniker more often than not, giving fans entertaining scraps whenever he is in action.