Have to disagree that Pettis was on his way to losing to Oliveira. Round 1 was a clear 10-8 IMO. Pettis destroyed and nearly finished him in that round and I was surprised Oliveira made it through. Worst case for Pettis was a draw I think. And again, Oliveira used his grappling to get himself back into the fight, something that Max is unlikely to do. It was also another example of how dangerous Pettis is when you give him a chance to lock in a sub. It's hard to continue to call them hail mary's when he's been able to sub Bendo, Melendez and Oliveira, some of the best grapplers in their respective divisions. Don't forget that Pettis rocked Melendez with a number of big shots before the guillotine in that second round too. Max has looked pretty durable from what we've seen but will he be able to handle the shots that Pettis almost inevitably lands even in fights he's lost?
I do agree with the cardio concerns though. If Pettis can't end this in the first 3 rounds, I think there's a strong chance he'll lose a decision. Very hard to see Max finishing him though with Pettis's durability and slick BJJ (he was in a number of dangerous positions against Oliveira and defended nicely). If I can get Pettis NSC at near evens I may go big on it.