ANAHEIM, California – Chris Ávila got a big name on his resume – possibly the biggest – on Saturday when he defeated former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis by unanimous decision in a six-round boxing match at the “Last man standing” main card.
A longtime friend and training partner of Nate Diaz, Avila (6-1) followed his mentor into the rise of the UFC, but faced an inconsistent MMA career before fully transitioning into the world of boxing.
Although he entered boxing as a sub-.500 mixed martial artist, Ávila continues to shake critics as he racks up wins and wins.
“I’m a true boxer and a lot of people don’t know that,” Avila told MMA Junkie and other reporters in a post-fight press conference. “All those haters who hate me and say a lot of bad things in the comments and online can suck me.”
While Pettis (1-1) is a widely recognized name in combat sports, Avila thinks a win over him is worth even more than that. Pettis defeated boxing legend Roy Jones in a match in 2023 and Avila is happy to use the transitive property when doing boxing math.
“It’s cool to get the win,” Avila said. “(Pettis) just beat Roy Jones Jr., even though he’s 55 years old. But it’s still Roy Jones Jr. Did he beat or draw with Mike Tyson? Either way, I feel like I got that win (and) collected some credentials tonight. It was good.”
As for what’s next, Ávila plans to continue advancing in boxing rather than returning to MMA. They are big names from now on, if he gets what he wants.
“I want big names,” Avila said. “Anthony Pettis was a good name, a great name. I want to fight winners. If something happens with Nate and Masvidal, I would like to fight Masvidal next. But I only want to fight winners, so fuck Masvidal.”
“…For now, I will continue with boxing. I take this seriously. I take my career seriously. I’m on a six-fight winning streak right now. I want to fight real fighters, real boxers and big names. I want to get there so I can get to the top.”
