There’s nothing worse for a fighter than being on a losing streak.

It’s a day that every fighter must face, the crossroads of their career in which they have to ask themselves some serious questions before deciding to move forward. Sure, every fighter has a bad day in the office. The problem with that is that the consequences are more dire than your average office job. A slip up at your insurance job may get you reprimanded, having to suffer through a stern verbal tongue lashing. A slip up in a fight could mean the difference between victory or potentially being knocked unconscious. It’s a lesson that both former champions Rashad Evans and Anthony Pettis are faced with now. Rashad Evans’ KO loss at the hands of Glover Texeira at UFC on Fox 19 highlighted the fact that Evans isn’t the same fighter he used to be prior to his ACL surgery. Now it seems that Evans is declining. He was overly gunshy against Ryan Bader, understandable as it was his first fight back. Against Texeira it seemed like the former UFC Light Heavyweight champion was spinning his wheels, trying to mount some kind of offense, but with surprisingly little purpose. Evans’ lack of tactical aptitude got him in more trouble than he bargained for and when Texeira put on the pressure, the knock seemed inevitable. Former UFC Lightweight champion Anthony Pettis was a different case altogether. Pettis went from being king of his weight class to going on a three fight losing streak in the blink of an eye. Many have pundits have called Pettis one of the most talented offensive fighters in MMA. The problem with that assessment is that the former champ hasn’t shown that in his last three fights. He was dominated by Rafael dos Anjos, losing his title in the process, had a hard and sloppy fight with Eddie Alvarez, and just this past weekend was out struck by Edson Barboza. Now it may sound like I’m being harsh on Pettis, especially considering the caliber of his recent opponents, but the reality is that if he means to once again dominate the 155 lbs division then he’s going to have to make some major adjustments and do so yesterday. The Barboza fight was the opportunity for Pettis to face off against an opponent that would avoid the ground game and engage in a stand up fight. Problem is, Barboza came in well scouted and Pettis’ simple one-two punch tactics fell completely flat. That and the fact that his movement though improved, keeping his back away from the cage, also helped to take away his biggest weapon: his outstanding kicking game. You can move and kick at the same time. Kicks must be set up and you can’t be in perpetual motion if you hope to throw a proper kick. So what should Evans and Pettis do in their situations? In Evans case, retirement should be strongly considered. He’s already been a TUF champion, the UFC Light Heavyweight champion, and now a coach and analyst. At this point in his career he has nothing left to prove and has all the credentials he needs to have a lucrative career after fighting. But seeing as how he recently talked about considering a drop to the Middleweight division, it seems unlikely that Evans will be calling it quits anytime soon. For Pettis the recent move to Jackson-Winklejohn could likely improve his game, but just how far? He’ll have to really consider his options moving forward as well as the tactics he employs in his fights. Where he should have stood and countered in this fight, one contested on the feet, he was in constant and ineffective motion. When he should have been more mobile against wrestling based opponents he stood still and gave them an easier opportunity to take him down. No matter how you slice it Anthony Pettis is a talented fighter. But if he hopes to stay afloat in the shark infested waters of the UFC Lightweight division then he’ll have to learn to adapt and fight smarter. Do you think Rashad Evans and Anthony Pettis will bounce back? Follow Generation Iron MMA on Facebook and Twitter. Also, be sure to share, like, and comment to show your support.

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.