Anthony Pettis Says Welterweight Move Isn’t One & Done

Anthony Pettis doesn’t plan on being exclusive to the welterweight division, but he certainly isn’t treating his UFC Nashville main event as a one-off.

Pettis will meet Stephen Thompson on March 23 inside the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. This will headline a UFC on ESPN+ event. “Showtime” competed as a welterweight at least once early in his career, but he hasn’t done so against an elite 170-pounder. That’ll change next month as Thompson is a two-time UFC welterweight title challenger and is the fourth ranked 170-pounder.

Pettis said that he has his sights set on big fights. If more of those bouts happen to be at welterweight, then “Showtime” is ready to answer the call:

“It’s definitely not a one-off. This is just me trying out that division. I’ve been inactive in my career. This is a point where I want to be active. I don’t want to sit around and wait for the right fight at 155. If a 170 opportunity presents itself, I’ll find out right now if that’s what I want to do.”

“Showtime” has found more success recently than he had been after losing the UFC lightweight title. Since snapping a three-fight skid, Pettis has gone 3-3. While it isn’t quite a resurgence, Pettis has proven that he’s still a threat to high-level competition.