Watch: Anthony Pettis calls out Tony Ferguson for a rematch after UFC Vegas 17 win
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis picked up a big win in what he insists was his last fight in the welterweight division.
In a preliminary card fight at UFC Vegas 17, the last event of the promotion's 2020 season, Pettis picked up his second win of the year via unanimous decision against Alex Morono. However, despite the win, Anthony Pettis intends to drop down to 155lbs again as it is the weight he feels comfortable fighting in. Pettis also has an opponent in mind for his return to the lightweight division - Tony Ferguson.
During his post-fight interview, Anthony Pettis revealed that he wants to rematch the former interim lightweight champion in his next fight. The first time Ferguson and Pettis fought each other was at UFC 229 back in 2018. Ferguson won the fight via TKO in the second round. However, Anthony Pettis claimed that the fight currently makes sense because Ferguson is coming off back to back losses.
Anthony Pettis feels now is the best time to rematch Tony Ferguson
While hailing Ferguson as one of the toughest fighters in the UFC, Pettis also stated that he believes Ferguson is a good matchup for him to break into the title scenario at the 155lbs division.
"I think Tony makes sense, man. I think Tony Ferguson coming off his two losses, and he's fighting tough dudes, and that's what I heard about this sport. Guys are like 'Tony's done' but he's a dangerous dude and I think it will be a good fight for me to jump at to get into the lightweight mix because he's still up there."
Pettis went on to explain why he believes he lost the first fight against Ferguson. He also alluded to the changes he's made to his all-round game which might help him get a different outcome in a potential rematch.
"He got me early with those elbows. I think I've made some adjustments there and I actually had a full training camp for that. Not taking anything away from him, I took that fight on short notice, the weight cut was horrible and I just wasn't mentally there in that process. Now I'm making decisions outside the octagon to make these fights go easier."
If we look at the last three fights of both men, Ferguson has won just one while Pettis has won two. Ferguson welcoming Anthony Pettis back to the lightweight division should be a good matchup for both men as they try to establish themselves in the 155lbs division yet again
Will the matchup come to fruition? Time will tell.