Anthony Pettis

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Anthony Pettis
Anthony Pettis WEC 53.jpg
Born (1987-01-27) January 27, 1987 (age 37)
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Other names Showtime
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[1]
Weight 155 lb (70 kg; 11.1 st)
Division Lightweight
Reach 73.0 in (185 cm)[2]
Fighting out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Team Roufusport
Trainer Duke Roufus
Rank 3rd dan black belt in Taekwondo[3]
Brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[4] under Daniel Wanderley[5]
Years active 2007–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total 21
Wins 18
By knockout 7
By submission 8
By decision 3
Losses 3
By decision 3
Amateur career
Total 1
Wins 1
By knockout 1
Other information
Notable relatives Sergio Pettis, brother
Website Official UFC Profile
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog

Anthony Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former UFC Lightweight Champion. Pettis was also the final WEC Lightweight Champion prior to the promotion being merged into the UFC. As of December 6, 2015, he is ranked as the #1 lightweight and #15 pound-for-pound in official UFC rankings.[6]

Early life

Born to Eugene Pettis, Jr. and Annette Garcia, Anthony Pettis grew up in the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, along with his older brother Ray Pettis and younger brother Sergio Pettis.[7] Pettis is of Puerto Rican and Mexican ancestry. His grandfather, Eugene Perez, Anglicized the family name from Perez to Pettis to avoid discrimination. Pettis attended Dominican High School.[8][9]

He started training taekwondo and boxing at the age of 5. In college he also started wrestling. When he went to train mixed martial arts at Roufusport at the age of 18 he had already a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo.

On November 12, 2003, Pettis' father was stabbed to death by a robber at a friend's house.[10]

Career

Anthony Pettis made his professional MMA debut in December 2007. He compiled a record of 8–0 in events all taking place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before debuting with the WEC, winning the Gladiator Fighting Series Lightweight Championship. His last fight before joining the WEC was a short notice welterweight bout.[11] Pettis also has a professional kickboxing background. In MMA, Pettis is known for his smooth and technical fighting style, as well as his athletic feats and wide range of techniques.

Pettis is coached by kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and is a member of Roufusport where he trains with fighters Alan Belcher, Erik Koch, Ben Rothwell, Ben Askren and Danny Downes.[12]

Before joining the WEC, Pettis went to The Ultimate Fighter: United States vs. United Kingdom tryouts, but didn't make it to the show.[13]

World Extreme Cagefighting

Pettis was expected to make his promotional debut against Anthony Njokuani on April 5, 2009 at WEC 40. However, Pettis pulled out of the fight with a hand injury and was replaced by Bart Palaszewski.[14]

Pettis made his WEC debut at WEC 41, where he defeated Mike Campbell via first round triangle choke.

He was then expected to fight Rob McCullough at WEC 44 on November 18, 2009, but was pulled off the card with an undisclosed injury.[15]

Pettis suffered his first professional loss on December 19, 2009, at WEC 45, dropping a split decision to Bart Palaszewski.[16]

Pettis rebounded from the loss with a head kick KO victory over Danny Castillo on March 6, 2010 at WEC 47, earning Knockout of the Night honors.[17] Training for the fight, as well as Pettis' family life, were both documented on an episode of the MTV show, World of Jenks.[7]

Pettis suffered virtually no damage in the bout with Castillo and made a quick return at WEC 48 against Alex Karalexis.[18] He won the fight via submission in the second round.

Pettis faced Shane Roller on August 18, 2010, at WEC 50.[19] Pettis surprised many by taking down Roller multiple times and frustrating him with fast paced scrambles. Pettis displayed a lot of diversity in his striking, namely two Capoeira kicks, including the martelo as well as the aú batido.[20][21][22] After several submission attempts, Pettis finally secured a fight ending triangle choke in the closing seconds of the fight, earning a Submission of the Night bonus.

His last WEC fight came against Benson Henderson on December 16, 2010, at WEC 53 for the WEC Lightweight Championship.[23] The fight was closely contested throughout, providing back and forth action, both standing and on the ground. In the fifth round, Pettis jumped off the cage with a move now known as the Showtime Kick with his right foot, making a shearing movement with his left leg, then kicking Henderson in the face with his right foot.[24][25] Pettis won the fight via unanimous decision (48–47, 49–46, 48–47) to become the final WEC Lightweight Champion. The fight was also awarded as Fight of the Night which won Henderson and Pettis an extra $10,000.[26]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In October 2010, World Extreme Cagefighting merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As part of the merger, a majority of the WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC.[27]

Pettis was expected to face the winner of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard, which took place at UFC 125.[28] However, the bout was declared a draw, and Edgar/Maynard 3 was scheduled for UFC 130, but both fighters sustained injuries before the fight, which was postponed.[29]

Instead of waiting for the winner of Edgar/Maynard 3, Pettis faced Clay Guida on June 4, 2011, at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale.[30] Despite repeatedly getting taken down by Guida, Pettis showed good defense off his back, controlling Guida's wrists and attempting multiple submissions, while taking little damage, even securing Guida's back. However, Guida was able to escape and in return secured Pettis's back to end the third round ultimately giving Guida the victory via unanimous decision.[31][32]

Pettis defeated Jeremy Stephens via split decision on October 8, 2011, at UFC 136 in a closely contested bout. Pettis used superior wrestling to control Stephens which was especially showcased in round 2, where he was able to take Stephens down three times.[33]

Pettis faced Joe Lauzon on February 25, 2012, at UFC 144.[34] He won the fight via first round KO, with a head kick followed by punches. His performance earned Knockout of the Night honors.

After spending the majority of 2012 recovering from a litany of injuries,[35][36][37] Pettis faced Donald Cerrone on January 26, 2013, at UFC on Fox 6.[38] Pettis won the fight by TKO in the first round, finishing Cerrone with a kick to the body. The performance also earned Pettis Knockout of the Night honors. After the victory, Dana White said he was "sold" on Pettis and admitted that after Benson Henderson against Gilbert Melendez on UFC on Fox 7, Pettis was to be the next to fight for the lightweight title.[39]

On February 5, it was announced that Pettis would not wait for a title shot at lightweight, and would instead be dropping down to 145 pounds to challenge featherweight champion, José Aldo on August 3, 2013, at UFC 163.[40] However, on June 14, Dana White announced that Pettis had pulled out of the Aldo bout with a serious knee injury, and that Aldo would instead defend the title against Chan Sung Jung.[41]

A few weeks later after a quick recovery, it was announced on July 12 that Pettis would receive a UFC lightweight title shot as he replaced an injured TJ Grant against Benson Henderson on August 31, 2013, at UFC 164.[42] The fight was a rematch from the last WEC event, WEC 53, where Henderson was defeated by Pettis via unanimous decision. Pettis defeated Henderson via armbar submission in the first round, taking a championship belt from Henderson for the second time, and becoming the new UFC Lightweight Champion. The win also earned Pettis his first Submission of the Night bonus award in the UFC.[43]

Pettis was expected to make his first title defense against TJ Grant on December 14, 2013, at UFC on Fox 9.[44] However, Grant revealed in mid-September that he had yet to be medically cleared after suffering a concussion in training and would not be eligible to compete on December 14.[45] Pettis was then expected to face Josh Thomson at the event.[46] However, the bout was cancelled in mid-November after Pettis pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury.[47]

José Aldo again was in talks to fight Pettis after defending his title against Ricardo Lamas at UFC 169. At the post-fight press conference, Aldo expressed interest to move up and fight Pettis at 155 lbs.[48] However, those plans were quickly refuted as Pettis was selected to serve as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 20, opposite Gilbert Melendez and the two would face each other at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014.[49] Pettis won the fight via guillotine choke in the second round, becoming the first man to finish Melendez.[50] He also earned a Performance of the Night bonus award.[51]

Pettis faced Rafael dos Anjos on March 14, 2015 at UFC 185.[52] Dos Anjos won the bout via unanimous decision in a dominant fashion, earning him the UFC Lightweight Championship. This was much to the surprise of many MMA pundits, professional fighters, fight bettors and experienced fans alike.[53][54]

Pettis was expected to face Myles Jury on July 25, 2015 at UFC on Fox 16.[55] However, Pettis pulled out of the bout citing another injury and was replaced by Edson Barboza.[56]

Pettis is expected to face Eddie Alvarez on January 17, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 81.[57]

Personal life

File:AnthonyPettis-Wheaties.jpg
Anthony Pettis, UFC Champion, on Wheaties Cereal Box, Feb. 2015

Along with Duke Roufus, Pettis owns the Roufusport MMA Academy and the Showtime Sports Bar in Milwaukee.[58][59] He also owns the ASP Barbershop in Milwaukee. Anthony and his ex-girlfriend Alexandra[60] have a daughter named Aria, born in July 2011.

Pettis along with Jon Jones, Urijah Faber, Joseph Benavidez, Mark Muñoz, Chad Mendes, and Scott Jorgensen starred in a Form Athletics (now owned by K-Swiss) commercial.[61]

On December 2, 2013, Pettis received a Certificate of Achievement by the Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker.[62]

On June 30, 2014, it was announced that Pettis signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok.[63]

In the fall of 2014, Pettis was voted to be the first UFC champion to appear on the cover of General Mills' Wheaties box. The box appeared in stores in early 2015.[64]

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts record

Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Loss 18–3 Rafael dos Anjos Decision (unanimous) UFC 185 March 14, 2015 5 5:00 Dallas, Texas, United States Lost the UFC Lightweight Championship.
Win 18–2 Gilbert Melendez Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 181 December 6, 2014 2 1:53 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship; Performance of the Night;
Win 17–2 Benson Henderson Submission (armbar) UFC 164 August 31, 2013 1 4:31 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Won the UFC Lightweight Championship; Submission of the Night. Submission of the Year (2013)
Win 16–2 Donald Cerrone TKO (body kick) UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson January 26, 2013 1 2:35 Chicago, Illinois, United States Knockout of the Night.
Win 15–2 Joe Lauzon KO (head kick) UFC 144 February 26, 2012 1 1:21 Saitama, Japan Knockout of the Night.
Win 14–2 Jeremy Stephens Decision (split) UFC 136 October 8, 2011 3 5:00 Houston, Texas, United States
Loss 13–2 Clay Guida Decision (unanimous) The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale June 4, 2011 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 13–1 Benson Henderson Decision (unanimous) WEC 53 December 16, 2010 5 5:00 Glendale, Arizona, United States Won the WEC Lightweight Championship. Fight of the Night. 2010 Fight of the Year.
Win 12–1 Shane Roller Submission (triangle choke) WEC 50 August 18, 2010 3 4:51 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Submission of the Night.
Win 11–1 Alex Karalexis Submission (triangle choke) WEC 48 April 24, 2010 2 1:35 Sacramento, California, United States
Win 10–1 Danny Castillo KO (head kick) WEC 47 March 6, 2010 1 2:27 Columbus, Ohio, United States Knockout of the Night.
Loss 9–1 Bart Palaszewski Decision (split) WEC 45 December 19, 2009 3 5:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 9–0 Mike Campbell Submission (triangle choke) WEC 41 June 7, 2009 1 1:49 Sacramento, California, United States
Win 8–0 Gabe Walbridge TKO (punches) GFS: Season's Beatings December 13, 2008 1 0:56 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Welterweight bout.
Win 7–0 Jay Ellis Submission (punches) GFS 55 October 4, 2008 1 1:12 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Defended the GFS Lightweight Championship.
Win 6–0 Sherron Leggett Decision (split) GFS: Fight Club June 21, 2008 3 5:00 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States Won the GFS Lightweight Championship.
Win 5–0 Mike Lambrecht KO (head kick) GFS: Knockout Kings March 29, 2008 1 1:49 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Win 4–0 George Barrazza TKO (punches) GFS: The Warriors February 16, 2008 1 4:31 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Win 3–0 Michael Skinner Submission (punches) GFS: Seasons Beatings December 1, 2007 1 0:36 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
Win 2–0 Lonny Amdahl Submission (injury) GFS: Rumble in the Cage August 17, 2007 1 0:12 Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States
Win 1–0 Tom Erspamer TKO (punches) GFS: Super Brawl January 27, 2007 1 0:24 Wisconsin, United States

Submission grappling record

Result Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Notes
Win United States Andy Lueneburg Submission (triangle choke) Combat Corner Grappling Championships Volume 7 16/04/2011 170 lb division
Loss United States Dave Kleczkowski Points Combat Corner Grappling Championships Volume 6 19/02/2011 Absolute division

Television

Pettis appeared on episode 4 of World of Jenks, where documentary maker Andrew Jenks lived with Pettis for a week before his fight against Danny Castillo at WEC 47.[7] The episode gave an inside look into Pettis' fight preparations as well as giving insights into his family life.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Anthony Pettis - Official UFC® Fighter Profile
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ [1], additional text.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ http://www.longisland.com/articles/0...print=1&page=1
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Cofield, Steve (August 18, 2010) "In a classic, Pettis triangles Roller at WEC 50", Yahoo! Sports
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Ciccarelli, Mitch (December 17, 2011) "Anthony Pettis' Kick and the Best Finishing Moves in MMA History", Bleacher Report
  25. ↑ Seth Pollack "Anthony Pettis 'Showtime' Kick Seen Cageside Changed My View Of MMA", [2], SB Nation, December 17, 2011
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  40. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  70. ↑ [3][dead link]
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  72. ↑ http://hov-mma.com/2015/01/2014-hov-mma-awards.html

External links

Preceded by 7th WEC Lightweight Champion
December 16, 2010 – December 16, 2010		 Vacant
WEC Lightweight division
was dissolved into the UFC
Preceded by 6th UFC Lightweight Champion
August 31, 2013 – March 14, 2015		 Succeeded by
Rafael dos Anjos
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