UFC 144 Fight Card: Does Anthony Pettis Deserve a Title Shot with a Victory?

Since having a promised UFC title shot taken away from him, Anthony Pettis has lost to Clay Guida and narrowly defeated Jeremy Stephens.

Still, an impressive win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 could put the former WEC lightweight champion back in position for a championship fight.

Competing against 155-pound champion Frankie Edgar in UFC 144's main event, Benson Henderson was the fighter Pettis defeated to become WEC champion and earn a previously guaranteed UFC title shot. Having recently defeated Henderson, Pettis has proven he can compete against the best of the best.

That being said, a two-fight winning streak might not be enough for Pettis to be awarded a championship fight, especially considering the depth of talent in the lightweight division. Fighters like Jim Miller and Nate Diaz would be equally as deserving of a shot at the belt.

However, should Henderson and Pettis both win at UFC 144, it would be hard for the UFC to pass up on what would be an epic rematch between former WEC champions. The fight would allow the UFC to queue up replays of Pettis' "Showtime" kick to get fans buzzing about a rematch that would likely be equally as entertaining as the first meeting between Pettis and Henderson.

If Edgar defeats Henderson, there would still be a chance for Pettis to be named the top contender with a victory over Lauzon, but the intrigue for a fight with Edgar wouldn't be nearly as great as it would be for a rematch with Henderson. 

First thing is first, though. Pettis will have to avoid going the way of Melvin Guillard and falling in another Lauzon upset special.

Sean Smith is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report MMA. For the latest insight and updates on everything MMA, follow him on Twitter