Anthony Pettis is eyeing a match-up with a 38-fight mixed martial arts (MMA) veteran.
Pettis, who is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight title holder, has gone 1-4 in his last five outings. After losses to Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, and Edson Barboza, “Showtime” moved down to featherweight. He defeated Charles Oliveira, but was then stopped by Max Holloway.
Speaking with ESPN, Pettis said a return to lightweight is his next move and he’d like to fight Jim Miller:
“I’m going to take my time at 155 pounds. I was in a rush to get back into title contention. Everybody I fought besides [Charles] Oliveira was the No. 1 contender or a former champion. I’m going to go back to the 155-pound division, work my way back to the top and see how far I can take it again. I was the king of lightweight in both the WEC and UFC. I have to go back there and keep doing that, with no pressure on myself. There’s no lack of motivation, no superstition. It’s just me, out there grinding hard and winning fights. Yeah, I was looking to get Jim Miller. He was the only guy not booked, besides [Michael] Johnson. I let my management take care of who I’m fighting, but there’s Miller, Johnson, Nate Diaz. There’s a bunch of guys out there I’d like to fight.”
