It’s no secret what Anthony Pettis is setting out to do against Raush Manfio.
In fact, Pettis has been showing it off on his social media, putting in rounds in the boxing ring ahead of his 2021 PFL 6 co-main event matchup Friday at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J.
Pettis (24-11) finds himself in a must-win situation where a stoppage is necessary if he wants to advance to the lightweight playoffs. But “Showtime” won’t chase the finish. He aims to be less flashy and more fundamental, which he thinks will result in the kind of performance needed to advance.
“I immediately focused on my boxing,” Pettis told MMA Junkie. “I’m gonna use a lot more hands in this fight. I’ve been posting it. Everybody’s seen what I’ve been attacking. He knows what I’m gonna be doing. I’m gonna be putting my hands together. I’m looking to put these hands on him, and I’m not gonna force the kicks, I’m not gonna force anything flashy. You’re gonna see a well fought, smart fight by me.”
Throughout his career, Pettis has shown a well versed skill set in which he’s stopped opponents by both knockout and submission. But “Showtime” is so confident in his preparation that he’s mapped out his finish against Manfio (12-3).
“He has a great right hand, counter right hand, good left check-hook,” Pettis said. “He doesn’t have too much off his back. When he’s on his back, he doesn’t look for submissions, he’s not trying to go for crazy stuff, but my game plan is to knock him out. I’m gonna go out there in the orthodox stance. I’ve been showing it on my feeds. There’s nothing that I’m gonna change. I’ve been showing everything that I’ve been doing. I’m gonna put him in the orthodox stance, I’m gonna find my rhythm, I’m gonna build up a range, and once I find that range, it’s showtime.”
Under pressure to finish, Anthony Pettis won’t ‘force anything flashy’ at 2021 PFL 6
