A highlight-reel knockout is apparently all Rafael dos Anjos needed to see to greenlight a rematch with Anthony Pettis.
The Brazilian ex-champ said after his currently scheduled fight with Kevin Lee at UFC on ESPN+ 9, he’ll be more than happy to oblige Pettis’ callout (via Twitter).
Pettis (22-8 MMA, 9-7 UFC) named dos Anjos (28-10 MMA, 17-8 UFC) as a potential opponent after a stunning knockout of two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson (14-4-1 MMA, 9-4-1 UFC) in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 6, which took place Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.
Pettis and dos Anjos met four years ago at UFC 185 when Pettis held the lightweight title. Over five rounds, dos Anjos dominated the action to secure a unanimous decision and win the title.
Dos Anjos’ title reign didn’t last long. After a quick stoppage of Donald Cerrone, he lost the belt via first-round knockout against Eddie Alvarez. Following a decision loss to Tony Ferguson, he moved up to the welterweight division, citing a brutal weight cut to 155 pounds as the catalyst.
Pettis took a little longer to move up. After losing to dos Anjos, he went 3-5 against top competition. A loss to Ferguson prompted him to move up to welterweight, and he called immediately for a fight with Thompson.
With his 170-pound debut netting a stunning win and $50,000 bonus, Pettis just put himself on the map. And he may have his next fight lined up, too.
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