Kevin Lee planning for UFC 229 bout, hoping for Pettis fight

The lightweight top contender is gunning for a big fight on the undercard of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor.

A year or two ago, calling out Anthony Pettis for a top contender bout at lightweight would have seemed a bit nonsensical. The former lightweight champion has struggled to find his elite fighting form since losing his belt to Rafael Dos Anjos back in 2015. And while he’s only lost to top flight competition, he just hasn’t looked like the same killer that marched through the WEC and then stormed his way to the UFC title.

But, Pettis’ latest fight, a second round submission win over Michael Chiesa, felt like something missing had been replaced. Anthony Pettis looked like ‘Showtime’. And he entirely dominated a fighter whose wrestling game was supposed to give him fits, just like several others have lately. Of course, winning can only lead to one thing for a talent like Pettis’, and that’s bigger fights.

To that end, the longtime Roufusport fighter finds himself on the end of a call-out, for UFC 229, against #5 ranked lightweight Kevin Lee. Lee faced Tony Ferguson in October of last year for an interim belt at 155 lbs, losing the fight in the third round via submission. Since then, however, he’s stormed back into top form – demolishing Edson Barboza for a 5th round TKO earlier this year. With the return of Conor McGregor – taking on Khabib Nurmagomedov for the since unified lightweight title – on October 6th, it sounds like Lee is looking for a way onto the under card of what’s sure to be a major PPV. And he sees Pettis as his best option to make that happen (transcript via ESPN).

“I get his reason for not taking a fight against me,” Lee said, speaking to Ariel Helwani recently about his hopes of getting a fight with Georges St-Pierre. “I’m a big risk and not much reward. I get it. I’ll move past it.

”That said, I kind of took it a little bit as disrespect. I took it as a little bit of a challenge, that he doesn’t see me as worth his time. I’ll make my point. If I have to show how good I am again, and Anthony Pettis has to be the victim of it, then I’ll beat the f--- out of Anthony Pettis.”

Lee added that he’s already spoken to the UFC about the idea of the Pettis bout, and they seem interested but are, “trying to see where everyone settles” among the top ranked fighters at 155. He also added that, whether he gets the fight he wants with Pettis or not, Lee is still looking to be in fight shape on October 6th, even if it’s just on the off chance that he could step in as a late replacement.

“I’m the best lightweight out there, for sure,” Lee said. “Not only that, but I’m getting better and better. I’m constantly looking to improve myself. That’s why I’ve even stayed out of the media for bit, I’ve been working on my skills. Whatever the UFC decides, I’m going to be ready to go on Oct. 6, ready to make that weight, even if they don’t find me an opponent.”

UFC 229 takes place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. The event will be headlined by the championship bout between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor. Bouts between Sergio Pettis & Jussier Formiga, Michelle Waterson & Felice Herrig, and Alexander Volkov & Derrick Lewis are also expected for the event.