Coming off an impressive win over Brandon Moreno - who was previously undefeated in the UFC - in the main event of UFC Mexico City on Saturday, few would have questioned Sergio Pettis if he used the stage to demand a title shot against Demetrious Johnson.
Instead, Pettis refused to name himself the top flyweight contender, opting to call out Henry Cejudo, who he was booked to fight at UFC 211 in May until Cejudo pulled out with a hand injury.
"He kind of pulled out two days before, and I want to still touch that face," said Pettis, according to MMAjunkie.com's Steven Marrocco and John Morgan.
As said by one of the great philosophers of our time - Omar Little from "The Wire" - "You come at the king, you best not miss."
And it appears Pettis is smartly taking the cautious approach to his UFC career.
Ten times, fighters have tried to take down Johnson, and 10 times the UFC's pound-for-pound king has sent them scurrying back into their holes to contemplate why they even took the shot in the first place.
Pettis is 23 years old, a kid in UFC terms. He should be in no rush to scale the mountaintop, especially since those who are sent falling from it rarely get another chance.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
"Mighty Mouse" is one win short of earning the most consecutive title defenses in promotion history for a reason; there are no flaws in his game, and it will likely take a Herculean effort in order to supplant him.
However, the same could have been said for Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, and BJ Penn in years past.
No fighter, however unbeatable they look, is ever truly invincible.
Johnson is set to face Ray Borg, and after he likely breaks the title defense record, he should start looking for big-money fights, as is the recent trend in the UFC.
For Pettis, this means that a title shot might not be coming soon. And that's OK.
The bravado of MMA means fighters often convince themselves they're ready for the big time, only to be taught in painful fashion by a veteran like Johnson that they definitely aren't.
Pettis once again proved he's an outstanding technical striker in his victory over Moreno, and he has the mixture of solid fundamentals, strong jiu-jitsu, and above-average athleticism to give the flyweight champion problems down the line.
The American has four straight wins, but making it five or six in a row, rounding out his game, and gaining more experience while "Mighty Mouse" is otherwise occupied is the smart move, and should give him the best chance when it finally becomes his time to try and knock off Johnson's crown.
