TJ Grant Next In Line For Lightweight Title Shot
With rumors circulating that Anthony Pettis would again be scheduled to fight Jose Aldo after he submitted Benson Henderson in the first round at UFC 164, it appears that the man who had the original shot at “Smooth” will indeed have his day.
No. 3-ranked Lightweight TJ Grant will apparently be the next man to face Pettis in the Octagon. The new champ is on the mend from a knee injury suffered in Milwaukee last weekend, and his return timetable is still unknown to this point.
Earlier this evening, Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports tweeted the reveal, courtesy of UFC President Dana White:
Update: @danawhite says @TJ_Grant will get next shot at lightweight title. @Showtimepettis still undergoing tests. MRI results unclear
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) September 3, 2013
There’s still a lot of details to be hammered out, but Grant is next in line and the superfight of Aldo vs. Pettis will just have to wait. It would have had to anyway, with Aldo on the shelf until at least early next year with a broken foot. Grant vs. Pettis should be a rousing war to headline an event in the near future.
Let’s hope the tests come back negative and “Showtime” heals up quickly, because he could be one of the most exciting champions ever seen in the Octagon. What are your thoughts on the booking?
Outer Photo: Gary A. Vasquez for USA TODAY Sports
