The UFC is in the process of booking a lightweight showdown between Justin Gaethje and Anthony Pettis.
Following an initial report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, sources confirmed that the lightweight matchup is in the works to MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al Shatti, and is being targeted for early 2019.
Gaethje (19-2-0) recently got back to his winning ways with a monstrous first-round knockout win over James Vick in their main event clash at UFC Nebraska. The former WSOF champion has gone 2-2 with the UFC since his signing, with his debut win over Michael Johnson and his victory over Vick framing two losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier.
Pettis (21-8-0) is coming off a loss to Tony Ferguson on the UFC 229 main card. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion has failed to put a win streak together since losing his title to Rafael Dos Anjos in March 2015, with every win he has registered since being followed by a defeat. His last win came against Michael Chiesa, who succumbed to a triangle armbar in the second round of their meeting on the UFC 226 main card.
