Former UFC and WEC lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and Michael Chiesa have verbally agreed to meet at the Barclays Center in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. MMA Fighting confirmed an initial Tuesday night report by ESPN. Pettis has been on sort of a losing streaking since losing his lightweight title to Rafael dos Anjos at 185. He’s lost five of his past seven fights, with the most recent being a submission loss to Dustin Poirier.
The Ultimate Fighter 15 winner Michael Chiesa fought just once last year, which was a first-round submission loss to Kevin Lee in June. That broke a three-fight win streak for the Spokane, Wash. native. UFC 223 is shaping up to be a lighweight-heavy show. The main event of the show will be between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov for the Lightweight championship , but 155-pound matchups between Al Iaquinta and Paul Felder and Joe Lauzon and Chris Gruetzemacher have also been announced.