Anthony Pettis Is A Man On A Mission At Featherweight
Anthony Pettis Is A Man On A Mission At Featherweight
It's all change for Anthony Pettis this weekend as he makes a move down to the featherweight division in a bid to get his UFC career back on track.Speaking
It's all change for Anthony Pettis this weekend as he makes a move down to the featherweight division in a bid to get his UFC career back on track.
Speaking to the media at the open workout session yesterday, Pettis explained how he was totally focused on getting back to winning ways and making weight for the first time at featherweight in his UFC career.
"Honestly, the whole way here I've been like 'Dude are you sure I can make 146l?'," Pettis said. "I was sure I could do it because I never used to cut weight for 155, but actually doing this and feeling my body moving at 145 it feels good man. I feel nervous for the weight cut. I've had to get in mad shape and put the time in for this cut. I can't just show up here like 155 and just make weight.
"It felt good to be nervous for the weight cut, it felt good to be going through the process again and this just reminded me of the old times--it feels good. I'm motivated, I'm amped up and I'm ready to go."
Pettis will be straight into the deep end at featherweight and will fight the No. 6 man in the division Charles Olivera. For some, that might be a daunting task but Pettis maintains he was actually the one that asked for the fight in the first place.
"I picked the guy," Pettis said. "Everyone else was matched up, he was sitting there ranked all nice and high and it just made a lot of sense me. I go in there and win it puts me right back in line.
"For me, it's about legacy. I can be a two-time champion in two different weight classes and not that many guys have done that. I could be working my way back up the ladder which I could've done as well, I'm not done with the lightweight division, I got some fights there still to take care of.
"I want to build this legacy, I'm 29-years-old and it's time to make a change. I'm heading down to that 145 pounds division and I'm going to get that belt. I'm a man on a mission right now and I'm focused."
Pettis explained that the change in weight class has renewed his hunger and given him all new goals to strive for. He sees the fight with Olivera this weekend as the beginning of a whole new chapter for him.
"I feel like I needed to make a change just to get motivated again," Pettis said. "I wanted to get back that fire that I first had when I first started this thing. I feel like that 145 pounds title is really something I can do. I can leave this sport as a two-division champion and I can leave a big legacy in the sport."
Speaking to the media at the open workout session yesterday, Pettis explained how he was totally focused on getting back to winning ways and making weight for the first time at featherweight in his UFC career.
"Honestly, the whole way here I've been like 'Dude are you sure I can make 146l?'," Pettis said. "I was sure I could do it because I never used to cut weight for 155, but actually doing this and feeling my body moving at 145 it feels good man. I feel nervous for the weight cut. I've had to get in mad shape and put the time in for this cut. I can't just show up here like 155 and just make weight.
"It felt good to be nervous for the weight cut, it felt good to be going through the process again and this just reminded me of the old times--it feels good. I'm motivated, I'm amped up and I'm ready to go."
Pettis will be straight into the deep end at featherweight and will fight the No. 6 man in the division Charles Olivera. For some, that might be a daunting task but Pettis maintains he was actually the one that asked for the fight in the first place.
"I picked the guy," Pettis said. "Everyone else was matched up, he was sitting there ranked all nice and high and it just made a lot of sense me. I go in there and win it puts me right back in line.
"For me, it's about legacy. I can be a two-time champion in two different weight classes and not that many guys have done that. I could be working my way back up the ladder which I could've done as well, I'm not done with the lightweight division, I got some fights there still to take care of.
"I want to build this legacy, I'm 29-years-old and it's time to make a change. I'm heading down to that 145 pounds division and I'm going to get that belt. I'm a man on a mission right now and I'm focused."
Pettis explained that the change in weight class has renewed his hunger and given him all new goals to strive for. He sees the fight with Olivera this weekend as the beginning of a whole new chapter for him.
"I feel like I needed to make a change just to get motivated again," Pettis said. "I wanted to get back that fire that I first had when I first started this thing. I feel like that 145 pounds title is really something I can do. I can leave this sport as a two-division champion and I can leave a big legacy in the sport."