Anthony Pettis’ coach says “Showtime” is solely focused on the task at hand on May 9.
Pettis is set to take on Donald Cerrone on the UFC 249 card. This will be a rematch from their Jan. 2013 lightweight title bout. Pettis won that bout via first-round TKO.
Pettis’ Coach Says ‘Showtime’ Not Focusing On Last Loss
Pettis has dropped his last two bouts. In his last outing, “Showtime” was submitted by Diego Ferreira. Pettis’ coach Duke Roufus told RJ Clifford on SiriusXM that his fighter has put his last defeat behind him (h/t BJPenn.com).
“At this point, one, he’s just excited to be in the opportunity,” Roufus said of Pettis. “I think this fight is very unique, it’s the only sporting event going on ESPN, the spot that Donald and Anthony are in [featured prelim], I think the most eyes in the sporting world are going to be on those two because it’s the last fight on ESPN before we go into the pay-per-view. The motivation is different than a rematch if you will, this is a huge opportunity for Anthony to capitalize on his brand if he has a great performance. We’re not even thinking about the last fight, we’re thinking about this fight and what we can do.”
Pettis hasn’t emerged victorious since March 2019. He knocked out Stephen Thompson in the second round. The former UFC lightweight champion has gone 1-3 in his last four outings.
UFC 249 will feature two title bouts. In the main event, Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje will collide for the interim UFC lightweight title. The co-main event features a bantamweight title bout between champion Henry Cejudo and Dominick Cruz.
