Comfortable at Welterweight, Anthony Pettis Seeks Division to Call Home

Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream UFC 249 live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champ Anthony Pettis has bounced around from featherweight to welterweight over the years, and hopes that 170 is the future for him.

A relaxed and masked Pettis joined the UFC Virtual Media Day on Thursday, where he expressed his comfort at fighting among the 170-pound ranks. Pettis took a short-notice rematch against Donald Cerrone, and the two will headline the ESPN prelim portion of UFC 249. Taking his mask off, he was immediately ready to praise the matchmaking as well as his opponent.

“We’re actually pretty good friends now,” Pettis was glad to say. The two met at UFC on Fox 6 in 2013, and Pettis won by first-round knockout with a vicious liver kick. Following their battle, the two became friends, and even trained together for a time. Being friends with his opponent does not bother Pettis, who can put that aside for the sport.

“I fought ‘Wonderboy’ [Stephen Thompson],” he said. “He’s one of the nicest dudes ever. It’s about a sport, same thing for this one. Somebody has to win.” The familiarity with his opponent puts Pettis at ease, knowing there will never be ill will between them. Both Pettis and Cerrone enjoy fighting, and Pettis is ready for what “Cowboy” brings to the table.

Pettis was comfortable expecting that, “he’s not gonna come in and wrestle me.” Both former lightweights competed on cards together dating back to their time in World Extreme Cagefighting, and both are well aware of each other’s skillsets. They did first come to blows at lightweight, and this short-notice affair will take place at welterweight.

“It was short notice for both of us,” he explained. “They called us two or three weeks ago, so I think it made sense to take it at 170 [pounds].” The weight class made it an easy decision for Pettis, who has a trivial amount of weight to cut leading up to his fight.

“The weight cut is the best,” Pettis said with a smile. “Three pounds, I float that much. My energy’s good, the attitude as well.” He describe the pain he endured trying to make featherweight, where he actually came in three pounds heavy in his failed 145-pound title bid against Max Holloway in 2016. Fighting at welterweight, he will have no such problems, but admitted about his search for a normal weight class, “I’m kinda like all over the place with my fights, I’m trying to find a home.”

Like how Henry Cejudo explained earlier in the day, Pettis has taken some time during the quarantine to reevaluate himself and his career. Perhaps most important to him, he has discovered that there are ways to improve how he trains.

“The quarantine taught me how much time I was wasting,” he put forth. “It made me step back and look at the process I was using.” When comparing his old camps to the one he has been in the last couple weeks, he admitted, “All the practices were about me.” This differs from standard training camps, where at Roufusport he could help other fighters train for their fights. In doing so, it would take away from improving his own skill.

Even though both he and his opponent have only had a few weeks to train, Pettis believes he has an inherent advantage going into the rematch. “When you beat somebody, it’s always there in the back of their head.” He continued, “I got the mental advantage already. I hope I go out there and perform.” It helps him a great deal, because simply put, “For me I like that I have a mental edge because I beat him.”

Pettis will be attempting to snap a two-fight skid, where he most recently dropped a bout by submission to Diego Ferreira in January. Despite the rare losing streak for Pettis -- only the second such drought in his career -- Pettis feels that the matchup against Cerrone is just what he needs to get back on track.

“I gotta go out there and start quick,” he offered. “[Cerrone is] Very cautious of a body shot, it’s gonna be a kick obviously. Southpaw body kick.” With his weight cut a non-factor, and a proposed mental edge opponent, he feels more comfortable with his station. “The way I feel right now is that I can fight, I’m not dying from a weight cut.”

With a win, Pettis can achieve his goal: “I need to get my confidence back.”

The VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, will play host to UFC 249 on May 9. Headlining the event will be an interim lightweight title battle between Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje. The co-headliner puts the bantamweight belt on the line as Henry Cejudo tries to make his first defense against Dominick Cruz.