Anthony Pettis may no longer be Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, but that hasn’t stopped him from facing some of the biggest names at 155 pounds and beyond.
From Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson at lightweight, to Stephen Thompson and Nate Diaz at welterweight.
But Diaz may be the most important non-title fight of his career, as a victory at UFC 241 this August in Anaheim could open the door for a Conor McGregor fight, which equates to unparalleled exposure and of course, a significant pay bump.
“Even Conor fighting Khabib, I don’t think that’s the fight,” manager Abraham Kawa told MMA Junkie. “I actually don’t want to see that fight right now. Maybe after awhile, yes. But right now I think Conor vs. Anthony is the fight. I’m looking at it as (if) Anthony beats Nate, and I think Conor is next on the horizon.”
McGregor has been angling for a Khabib Nurmagomedov rematch ever since he surrendered to “The Eagle” last October. Unfortunately for “Notorious,” the reigning lightweight champion is already booked to fight Poirier in September.
And Tony Ferguson is expected to face the winner.
That means McGregor can either sit out for the rest of the year or make his Octagon return against another top lightweight. The Donald Cerrone ship appears to have sailed, leaving us with the winner of Pettis vs. Diaz.
All in favor?