LAS VEGAS – Not many people in this world can understand what it’s like to be Jon Jones: just 27 years old, considered one of the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet and making more money than you had ever dreamed as one of the faces of the UFC. Anthony Pettis (18-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC) does.

The UFC lightweight champion, who’s currently in Las Vegas as one of the brand ambassadors for Monster Cable Products at this week’s Consumer Electronics Show, understands Jones’ lifestyle perhaps as much as anyone on the planet, which is why “Showtime” admits he was as disappointed as anyone to find out about the UFC light heavyweight champion testing positive for cocaine metabolites.

“It’s hard,” Pettis told MMAjunkie. “Jon’s young. He’s my age: 27. You get put in front of a lot of people who care about who you are and there’s some negative energy around that, as well. Some people don’t want to see you do good or want to introduce you to things will bring you down, and it’s kind of up to you. You’ve got to be strong-willed. You’ve got to know what to say ‘yes’ and ‘no’ to.”

Like Jones, Pettis came from humble beginnings. His mother was forced to provide for his family after his father was murdered when Pettis was still just a teenager.

It was an eye-opening incident for Pettis, and one that helped form his opinion on illegal substances.

“For me, I lost my dad to that kind of stuff, so I already knew,” Pettis explained. “I feel like I have a strong willpower not to get mixed up in that stuff. Anybody else, I think it’s hard. It’s definitely there. It’s around you at parties you go to and events you go to. These people have a different level of income and a different amount of money and it might be presented to you in a different way than somebody would in your neighborhood. That’s how it is for me.

“If somebody presented it to me in my neighborhood I’d be like, ‘No, I don’t want to be like you. You’re not doing as good as I am.’ But then you see people doing way better than you and they’re doing it and presenting it to you in a different way, it’s hard to juggle. You have to be careful.”

While Jones is widely considered to be the top pound-for-pound fighters on the planet, Pettis is certainly making waves of his own. He’s currently ranked at No. 5 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA pound-for-pound rankings, and he serves as a face of the UFC not only with MonsterCable Products but also Reebok and Wheaties, among others.

Representing those brands comes with a level of responsibility, but it also requires ample time away from the gym, making appearances such as Pettis’ spot at the Consumer Electronics Show. Then there are the after parties and the club visits – not to mention the chance for those with money to hang out and party with one of the baddest men on the planet.

All of that can be tough for a young fighter to handle, but Pettis said it’s a lesson that’s imperative to comprehend.

“It was really tough for me in the beginning of my career, but I think I adjusted very well,” Pettis said. “I think you have to make it a lifestyle. No matter what brand you’re with, when you’re at the hotel, you’ve got the option. You can either go out and hang out and do all of the fun stuff, or you can stay in and get your rest and do what you have to do for the brand you’re representing but still get your workouts in.

“Me, I brought my brother out here to Las Vegas. Traveling with people helps out a lot. It keeps you on track. It’s very easy to lose focus on the goal.”

Other than a brief statement, Jones has yet to publicly comment on his failed test. While Pettis doesn’t pretend to know the full circumstances leading to Jones’ current position, he does have a unique understanding of the problems that can come along with UFC success early in life. And while it was tragedy that helped form his own position, Pettis hopes other fighters can learn from what they’re currently watching unfold.

“I think a lot of athletes get caught up in that thing,” Pettis said. “You just have to be careful. I lost my dad, and I see other people where I came from and how they live their life, and I don’t want to get mixed up with that, so I think that’s what keeps me away from it.”

Pettis returns to action in March, when he meets top challenger Rafael Dos Anjos in the headlining bout if UFC 185 in Dallas.

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.