Anthony Pettis grabbed headlines with an unusual call-out this past week: a welterweight bout against Stephen Thompson. It’s a challenge Thompson sounds happy to accept.
Is Anthony Pettis headed to 170 lbs? ‘Pretty’ Tony has spent the last four years of his career in a rut of inconsistency, ever since losing his UFC lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos in March of 2015. From that point, he’s gone 3-5 including a brief drop down to featherweight, and losses to Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and – just this last October – Tony Ferguson.
That stretch hasn’t been without its successes, however. Pettis’ win over Michael Chiesa had him looking very much in the kind of championship form that saw him take the UFC title from Benson Henderson in 2013. But, finding those performances from one bout to the next has been a problem. With the cut to 145 lbs seemingly not an answer, could moving up in weight be the missing solution for the longtime 155 lb fighter?
That looks like the move Pettis is contemplating, with a recent call-out of former welterweight title contender Stephen Thompson. “What you guys think? Take my talents to WW and take on the boy?” Pettis posted on Instagram under a picture of Thompson.
If that’s a gauntlet laid, it looks like it’s also a challenge that ‘Wonderboy’ is happy to accept. The top-ranked 170 lb fighter posted his own response on social media, where he made it clear that he’s 100% down for a fight with the former champ.
“For the fans! If @showtimepettis wants to come try out 170 y’all know I’m ready.” Thompson wrote on Instagram. “We both got highlight reels, let’s do it!”
Thompson is coming off a 5-round loss to recent Tyron Woodley victim Darren Till back in May. While a fight with Robbie Lawler had been teased for the start of 2019, a longstanding knee injury – re-aggravated in the Till loss – has kept the Karateka out of competition for most of the last year.
A fight with ‘Showtime’ comes firmly out of left field, but maybe it’s just what both men need to try and get the new year started off on the right foot.