After dropping a TKO loss to Tony Ferguson back at UFC 229 in what was one of the best lightweight affairs of the year, former UFC champion Anthony Pettis is looking to make yet another career change in 2019.
According to a recent Instagram post (shown below), Pettis is open to taking his talents to welterweight and potentially squaring off with two-time title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson for his first crack at 170 pounds.
“Heard somebody is looking for a fight,” wrote Pettis. “What you guys think? Take my talents to WW and take on the boy?”
Pettis, 31, has not been the same fighter since losing his UFC lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos back in 2015. Following that five-round decision loss to RDA, “Showtime” has only managed to produce a 3-5 record inside of the Octagon. That includes a brief drop down to featherweight in which Pettis missed weight for an interim title fight with Max Holloway only to lose via third-round TKO.
All of that said, Pettis remains one of the most talented fighters on the UFC roster. His track record speaks for itself and it would be very interesting to see how “Showtime” adapts his game to the welterweight level. He just may want to test the waters first before stepping into the cage with a 170-pound sniper like “Wonderboy.”
Thompson, 35, has gone 1-1 since his two title fights opposite welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, most recently dropping a decision to Darren Till this past May. The elite striker was briefly linked to a bout with former UFC champion Robbie Lawler for UFC’s debut on ESPN, but “Ruthless” will now welcome Ben Askren to the Octagon this March. That leaves “Wonderboy” open for business in 2019.
We’ll see if Pettis is able to wiggle his way into the welterweight division and land a big matchup with Thompson, or be forced to stay put at 155 pounds and lock horns with “The Highlight.”