Kevin Lee wants to “beat the f*** out of Anthony Pettis” at UFC 229

Surging UFC lightweight contender Kevin Lee is hoping for a spot on the stacked UFC 229 lineup. Yet with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz all booked up, his options in terms of opponents are fairly slim.

Luckily for Kevin Lee former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is currently enjoying a career resurgence. Lee thinks that a fight with the former champ might be just what the doctor ordered. A big win over Pettis might even be enough to convince Georges St-Pierre, who he called out previously, that he’s a worthy opponent.

“I think the UFC likes the fight,” Lee said of a fight with Pettis in an interview with ESPN (via MMAMania). “Apparently, there are two more spots on that UFC 229 card. They are trying to find see where everyone settles. Tony Ferguson is still out there. There are some moving parts, but that’s the fight that makes sense.”

“I get his reason for not taking a fight against me,” Lee continued, assuring that he understands why Georges St-Pierre turned him down. “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.”

Whatever the case, Kevin Lee is just keen to prove that he is the world’s top lightweight.

“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.”

Who do you want to see Kevin Lee fight next?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 8/14/2018.