Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis has hung with the best of them over the course of his career.
Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, Nate Diaz, Tony Ferguson, Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson, Michael Chiesa, Dustin Poirier, Max Holloway and current UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, are just some of the names dotting the CV of Pettis over the last six or seven years.
However, in Kilkenny’s Myles Price (11-7), he faces something of an enigma.
When asked about how he prepares for someone like Myles this weekend, the Milwaukee native was pretty straight up.
“It definitely matters (the opponent)”, Pettis (24-12) told Scoreline on Wednesday night.
“My coaches dissected the footage that we could find. All week we were texting each other videos back-and-forth of fights that we found online, and his last fight (v Peter Queally, Bellator 217).”
“Not having footage on his last three years though, I don’t know what’s coming. I know how he used to fight but not how he’s going to fight. I’m just prepared for everything.”
Training changes
“Last season I took an eight-week camp, two-month camps, but it just wasn’t enough. After that first fight I had to take some time to heal off (sic) and then boom, I’m right back into the bubble before fight camp even happened.”
“Last year we had to be in the [COVID] bubble 17 or 20 days before the fight so a lot of the camp happened in the bubble. This time I’m at home doing all the things that matter, all the extra things for a training camp – having access to my coaches, access to my training partners.”
“The mindset going into this, fighting a guy who’s kind of unknown is to be ready for anything. He’s actually a well-rounded fighter. I’ve watched the tape, he’s a good striker, he’s tough. He’s from Ireland so you know he’s real tough. His jiu-jitsu is actually pretty good too so I’m not underestimating anybody this season.”
Mindset
During the interview we also got to speak about mindset. Julia Budd, also appearing on Friday’s card, had suggested that (with some paraphrasing), if you’re not mentally set when you walk into the cage, then you’re broken.
So we asked Pettis where his head is at heading into the 2022 PFL season.
“Last season I was super confident”, he says.
“This season I’m even more confident because of the work I’ve put in. I’m running every morning, doing the mountains, doing the things that MMA fighters don’t like doing. My body’s looking amazing, I have energy, feel good, and the mindset is confident.”
Anthony Pettis and Myles Price meet at PFL 3 as part of the 2022 PFL regular season in Arlington, Texas, in the early hours of Saturday morning. You’ll be able to watch all the fight action on ESPN+ or Channel 4 from 2am.
