LAS VEGAS — Anthony Pettis wants nothing more than to reclaim the lightweight title that was taken from him back in March, but settling his grudge with Nate Diaz is also very high on Showtime's agenda.
The beef between the former WEC and UFC 155-pound titleholder and the trash-talking Stockton, California, native has been simmering for quite some time, as The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner has continuously bashed Pettis over social media platforms.
The Roufusport leader has fired back at every turn, but the situation has reached a point where Pettis wants to shut Diaz's mouth once and for all.
Therefore, even though Pettis' main objective is to get back to the top of the talent-stacked lightweight mountain and a potential victory over Diaz wouldn't put him in the express lane toward a title shot, the flashy striker is determined to do what needs to be done to make a fight with the Team Cesar Gracie representative a reality.
"Nate Diaz is definitely on my radar," Pettis told Bleacher Report. "That dude talks so much s--t and he's definitely on my radar. He's kind of a sensitive topic because we just had an exchange of words and I want to fight him. He's not in the top 10, but we are in the fighting sport, and he's one of the guys I really want to fight. He's talking a big mess and let's make it happen. The fans want to see it. That fight doesn't really do much for my ranking, but that's a fight I really want. I need to make that happen and I'm going to make that happen."
While his desire to fight Diaz stems from a personal vendetta, Pettis' bigger focus is locked on winning back the lightweight strap he lost to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185.
That night in Dallas, MMA fans saw a different version of Pettis than they were used to seeing.
The dynamic and versatile knockout artist found himself on the opposite side of an offensive onslaught unleashed by the Brazilian veteran.
Where Pettis has made his name by leveling his opposition with a wide array of rangy attacks, the Kings MMA product put the 28-year-old Milwaukee native up against the sort of adversity he'd never previously faced on the sport's biggest stage.
With that said, suffering his first loss in more than four years served to tap another level of drive inside Pettis. Once he's cleared to return to action, he believes something special is going to be unleashed inside the Octagon.
"I'd never got beat up the way I did in that fight," Pettis explained. "I never got punched in the face like that and I never bled in a fight before. I always come out of these fights unscathed or maybe suffer a small knee injury at the most, but I never got hit the face like that before. That was an eye-opener for me. It made me realize I needed to change some things up and train smarter to make sure I'm ready for these next opponents.
"With my striking, I always felt I was above everybody. That fight was different. I got hit in the face. I took the wrong angles and it woke me up a little bit. I have to make some little adjustments, come back stronger than ever and make these next couple of years count."
Over the past several years, the lightweight division has become one of the most talent-rich collectives under the UFC banner.
At any given time, there are a handful of potential contenders fighting to earn a championship opportunity, and after losing the title earlier in the year, Pettis will now be among those jockeying for a crack at the lightweight strap.
In order to accomplish his goals, Pettis knows he will have to face one of his fellow members of the divisional upper tier, and that is where getting the right opponent matters most.
He was originally slated to face Myles Jury later this month at UFC on Fox 16 in Chicago, but an injury suffered in training camp forced Pettis to the sidelines. Even though he's currently in the process of making a full recovery from that setback, Pettis is eyeing a bigger-name opponent for his return fight.
The human highlight reel wants a fight that will guarantee a title shot with a victory, and he believes a matchup against Khabib Nurmagomedov is the best possible option.
The Eagle's undefeated record and impressive run up the 155-pound ranks have him within striking distance of a title opportunity of his own, and Pettis feels derailing the Dagestani grappling machine would make his case for contention hard to deny.
"No disrespect to Myles Jury, but that fight was all about me wanting to get back in there," Pettis said. "I wanted to erase that loss, but I got hurt and was forced to pull out of the fight. I believe he got injured as well and things just kind of fell apart there. I want to fight whoever is going to get me to a title shot. I have this injury to deal with now, but when I come back that's what I want.
"Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and I saw each other in New York and I think he said he's coming back in October or November. That makes sense for me as well, so that fight is kind of on the radar. It makes a lot of sense. He's undefeated and everybody thinks he should get a title shot. I want that title shot, so it makes sense.
"There is no one player who is going to dominate the 155-pound weight class," he added. "I was the champ at one time, and the division is so competitive anyone can win on a given night. You wake up and feel even a little bit off, the guy who is just as good if not better is going to beat you. It's very hard to stay on top, but I'll tell you this, whoever can do that will become the next big player in this sport. That's what I'm shooting for."
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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