It looks like we may see Anthony Pettis vs. Michael Chiesa after all.
Hardcore mixed martial arts fans were thrilled with the news that Pettis would be taking on Chiesa in a lightweight clash on the main card of UFC 223. A win for Pettis would’ve been a huge step towards his climb back to the top of the rankings. A victory for Chiesa would’ve served as a much needed rebound from his controversial submission loss to Kevin Lee.
MMA News spoke to both Pettis and Chiesa during media day. All seemed well with both men going into the bout. Then Conor McGregor threw a dolly. Chiesa was cut open as a result and the bout was canceled.
If you had hopes that the bout would be re-booked, then you may be in luck. Ariel Helwani says sources have told him that the UFC plans to book the match-up sometime this year. A date is being worked on.
Check out Helwani’s tweet below:
Current hope and plan is to re-book Anthony Pettis vs. Michael Chiesa in the new few months, however, an exact date hasn’t been finalized yet, sources say.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) April 25, 2018
Pettis has gone 2-5 in his last seven outings. In his previous bout, “Showtime” was finished by Dustin Poirier in the third round via TKO. The last victory for Pettis was back in July 2017. He defeated Jim Miller via unanimous decision.
As for Chiesa, he was riding a three-fight winning streak before running into Lee. In that span, Chiesa defeated Mitch Clarke, Jim Miller, and Beneil Dariush. Lee was able to submit Chiesa, but controversy ensued. Referee Mario Yamasaki stopped the fight because he thought Chiesa was out from a rear-naked choke. Chiesa sprung up immediately and protested.
A bout between Pettis and Chiesa would have rankings implications. Pettis is currently ranked 12th and a win could get him back to the top ten. Meanwhile, Chiesa holds the ninth position and likely needs to win to stay in the top ten.
Would you like to see Anthony Pettis vs. Michael Chiesa re-booked?
