A. Pettis (photo) claims that fight against C. Mgregor was offered. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram @showtimepettis
The former lightweight champion (up to 70,3kg.), Anthony Pettis will have a big challenge this Saturday (17), at UFC 241. The North American will face the controversial Nate diaz in the co-main fight of the event, in the United States. What few know is that Pettis could have Conor McGregor as your opponent. In a recent interview with 'MMA Fighting', 'Showtime' stated that the negotiation, however, did not go through.
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“First, McGregor was (offered) and I thought: 'let's fight at Madison Square Garden (New York)'. Something went wrong and then they offered me Nate (Diaz). I said: 'let's see what happens', said the fighter.
Pettis, however, confessed that he was not frustrated because the fight against the Irishman had not been confirmed. It is known to MMA athletes and enthusiasts that a duel against Conor can yield a considerable amount of money, given the good promotion of the fights carried out by the Irishman.
“It really doesn't matter. I will face the best in the world. Nate is one of those guys. He's definitely a tough guy. Even though Nate and I have our disagreements, I respect his game,” said Pettis.
Anthony also praised the fighting style imposed by Diaz, who is known for provoking his opponents inside the octagon and fighting real battles in his fights. Although he has never been a UFC champion, Nate has a large number of admirers within the sport and still enjoys prestige with the UFC board.
“He is one of the public’s favorite athletes. He's going to come after me. He's not going to try to hold the fight for 15 minutes (three rounds) waiting for the judges' decision and I respect that about him”, concluded 'Showtime'.
Pettis was the UFC lightweight champion between 2013 and 2014. The fighter won the belt after beating Ben henderson, at UFC 164. The North American defended his title on one occasion, but lost it to the Brazilian Rafael dos Anjos in 2015. After a period of instability within the organization, Anthony ventured into fighting at featherweight (up to 65,7kg), but faced problems with weight cutting and returned to lightweight.
Today, the fighter works at welterweight and tries to return to his moments of glory in the company in the new division. In his last performance, the fighter won a great victory over the former challenger for the category title, Stephen Thompson, in March of this year.
This Saturday, Diaz returns from a three-year period of inactivity. The North American's last duel was in the defeat against Conor McGregor, which took place on 2016.
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