Anthony Pettis to undergo surgery, out eight weeks, next fight in lightweight division

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Anthony Pettis has been the focal point of many conversations in the mixed martial arts (MMA) community lately.

After his devastating first round knockout win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 on Feb. 25, 2012, in Saitama, Japan, many thought he may be headed for a rematch with the man who now holds the 155-pound crown, Ben Henderson. However, that was proven not to be when UFC President Dana White announced "Smooth" would be getting a different rematch, squaring off with the man he stole the belt from, Frankie Edgar.

The rumor mill continued to swirl, as MMA pundits pined for a possible move down by "Showtime" to face the Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo.

Tonight, on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," guest analyst Chael Sonnen reported on Pettis' plans for the very near future:

"To bring you up to speed, Mr. Pettis is going to go in for some surgery -- he's going to be out for about eight weeks. He's going to make a comeback and it will be at 155 [pounds]."

The reason for the surgery, as well as the exact procedure, are both currently undisclosed. MMAmania.com will, of course, keep you updated on those specific developments as they become available.

The question for Pettis becomes: Who will he fight next? Apparently, he isn't fighting Henderson. Not any time soon, anyway. He's not fighting Aldo, as long as "Scarface" is fighting at 145 pounds, either.

The lightweight picture, in general, is very interesting. Nate Diaz is set to fight Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3 in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012. The winner is said to be next in line for a title shot, but is that ever really set in stone?

The truth is that there aren't a ton of fights outside another showdown with Henderson that make much sense at the moment. The UFC may end up just waiting and seeing what happens between Diaz and Miller and going from there.

In the meantime, Pettis will have no other option than to get healthy, wait and see who Joe Silva has in mind for him, and possibly work with Duke Roufus on some kicks that will make ESPN's "Top 10" list.