There are only a few lottery tickets left in mixed martial arts that guarantee the recipient a big-stage opportunity, regardless of whether or not a title is up for grabs.
On Saturday night, amid the craziness of UFC 237, Anthony Pettis was given one of those lottery tickets.
Pettis is slated to meet Octagon superstar Nate Diaz in a hotly-anticipated 170-pound matchup on August 17 at UFC 241. If the bout stays intact, it will mark Diaz’s first UFC appearance since his two-fight series with Conor McGregor shattered pay-per-view records in 2016.