Anthony Pettis’ manager, Mike Roberts, informed MMA Weekly that his fighter would not be able to make a rumored August 11 bout with Donald Cerrone at UFC 150. While nothing was ever set in stone in regards to the bout, “Cowboy” is pushing hard for the event because he was born in Colorado, Springs, Colorado. [...]
If Donald Cerrone wants to fight at UFC 150 in Denver on Aug. 11, it won't be against Anthony Pettis. According to Mike Roberts, Pettis' manager, "Showtime" won't be ready to return from shoulder surgery in early August. He will, however, be ready to fight at UFC 151 on Sept. 1 in Las Vegas. That may not work for Cerrone, a native of Colorado Springs, Co., who expressed a strong desire following his win over Jeremy Stephens Tuesday night to fight on the Denver card. And to be fair to Cerrone, his demand was more about fighting close to home than it was about fighting his former WEC running mate, Pettis. "Whoever they want," Cerrone said on the FUEL TV post-fight show in response to his next opponent. "Denver is what I want, though." As for Pettis, his manager said he would be open to a fight against Cerrone, but he is still holding out hope that Nate Diaz changes his mind about waiting for a title shot and decides to fight him on the Labor Day card in Las Vegas. "Diaz is his first choice," Roberts said.
The 25-year-old Pettis underwent minor shoulder surgery in March following his knockout of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 in February.
After beating Jeremy Stephens on Tuesday at UFC on Fuel TV 3, Donald Cerrone eyed Anthony Pettis as his next challenge, a step up in competition. He was hoping for the fight to take place in his home state of Colorado at UFC 150 on August 11th. However, Pettis's manager announced today tat this would not be happening and that his client Pettis would be next fighting in September, possibly at UFC 151.
“Showtime” is recovering from shoulder surgery, and will not be able to make UFC 150 at
Anthony Pettis is anxious to get back in the cage but it won't be before September and that nixes any hope of a showdown with Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone, at least in Denver at UFC 150.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone makes no bones about it that he wants to fight in his hometown of Denver at UFC 150, and why not face fellow WEC veteran Anthony Pettis?
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
Nate Diaz will wait for the winner of Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar, but here's why Anthony Pettis should be next in line to face the Stockton bad boy instead.
Retweet this
Share on Facebook
• Email • StumbleUpon • Reddit • Digg • Technorati • Instapaper • Tumblr • Google Reader • LinkedIn
A little more than a year ago UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis was in position to challenge for the divisional strap. However, then-champion Frankie Edgar was booked in a rematch with Gray Maynard after the two fought to a Draw, forcing Pettis to choose between a period of inactivity or risking his go at the gold. “Showtime” bravely went with the latter, though his gamble ultimately backfired after he lost a decision to Clay Guida and saw his title-shot go up in smoke.
Last night Nate Diaz found himself under similar circumstances in the aftermath of beating Jim Miller at UFC on FOX 3. Shortly after his triumph the 27-year old was presented with two options– face Pettis in September or sit on the sidelines for nine months, twiddling his thumbs while Edgar and current champ Benson Henderson settle their score this fall before getting a crack at the winner.
Apparently it didn’t take long for the Californian to make his decision.
“I literally just talked to Nate Diaz. (He) is going to wait to take the title-shot,” said UFC President Dana White in an interview with Fuel TV after last night’s FOX event.
Diaz’s performance against Miller marked his third straight win since returning to lightweight after a run at 170 pounds, adding to other instances of success against Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone. He holds an overall record of 16-7 with fourteen finishes.
“We’ll figure it out,” White added when asked about how the organization would handle the 15-2 Pettis’ future. Pettis has come out victorious in back-to-back fights since the Guida loss, most recently knocking Joe Lauzon out in February at UFC 144.
Watch the full interview with White below where he discusses Diaz’s evolution as a fighter as well as the other main card clashes at UFC on FOX 3:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
UFC President Dana White revealed about Nate Diaz's decision to wait for his shot at the UFC Lightweight title, instead of fighting Anthony Pettis for the number one contender spot. Recent rumors suggested that Diaz will now be facing Pettis for the right to challenge the winner of Edgar vs. Henderson rematch, but now it looks like the former WEC Lightweight champ is now once again denied of his shot at glory.
Henderson and Edgar will meet again at UFC 150 on August 11th, which means that Nate Diaz is not
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Nate Diaz is your next lightweight No. 1 contender.
UFC president confirmed at Saturday night's UFC on FOX 3 post-event press conference that Diaz did indeed earn a shot at the 155-pound title with his win over Jim Miller.
And while there were reports that Anthony Pettis might still stand in Diaz's path to a title shot, White said Diaz was offered and agreed to stay on the sidelines until he can face the winner of Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar II, which takes place later this year.
Three years ago, original Ultimate Fighter winner Diego Sanchez made a run at the lightweight title with wins over Joe Stevenson and Clay Guida before hitting a brick wall known as the best B.J. Penn the world had ever seen. While Sanchez looked sharp at 155 pounds, by his own account he was far from living up to his potential due to a number of personal issues in his life.
Fresh off an entertaining albeit losing performance against Jake Ellenberger in early March, Sanchez recently underwent surgery for an injured shoulder and will be out until fall. The situation has not only given him an opportunity to take care of a nagging affliction but to give serious consideration to another dip in the lightweight pool.
“I’m probably going to be going down to 155 for the next fight,” said Sanchez in an interview with MMAJunkie Radio. “The last time I was at 155, I was just a wreck. Mentally, I was still young and partying a lot, and I was still smoking weed. I was just a wild child. Now that I’m grounded and have my life together and am married, I’m just focused. So maybe 155 might be a better weight for me.”
While plenty of exciting match-ups await Sanchez at lightweight, the one opponent he seems most drawn to is Anthony Pettis. In addition to being an exciting, well-rounded competitor, the 15-2 “Showtime” happens to be healing up from similar surgery and is expected to be ready for action around the same time as Sanchez.
“I told Dana I really liked that fight,” relayed Sanchez of a potential pairing with Pettis. “I want to fight a guy who’s a fan favorite and who has a lot of fans and is a big draw. It’d make us both better, the sport better. Plus, the guy has a win over the champ, so that’d bump me up right to the top.”
Pettis beat current title-holder Benson Henderson in late 2010 by way of decision. He is 2-1 since joining the UFC with a loss to Guida.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
"Frankie deserves a rematch after a decision," Ben Henderson said to Jon Anik on Fuel TV's "UFC Ultimate Insider". Ben talked about Anthony Pettis getting his title shot (eventually) and doing a rematch with him at some point.
UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson, who will meet Frankie Edgar for the second time this year, looks back on his performance in Japan and shares his thoughts on "The Answer" being granted an immediate rematch. Henderson says he "absolutely" agrees with the decision to book the rematch, insisting that not doing so would be "criminal." The champ also talks about a future encounter with Anthony Pettis, who currently stands as the last man to defeat him.
There had been talk of Anthony Pettis becoming the next challenger to UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo’s reign atop the division. While Pettis shied away from that talk, saying his focus would be on 155 pounds, it looks like the 25-year old won’t be fighting anyone in any division for awhile.
On this week’s episode of UFC Tonight it was reported that “Showtime” will have to have surgery to correct some undisclosed issues and will remain in the lightweight division upon his return later this spring or summer.
Pettis appeared to be at the front of the line in determining the next contender to the lightweight title before Frankie Edgar was given an immediate rematch against Benson Henderson, leaving Pettis on the outside looking in.
When he returns there’s no doubt Pettis will be back on the hunt for a title-shot as a former WEC champion having defeated Henderson for the company’s belt during their run in the promotion. Instead of waiting for a match with the then-busy Edgar upon his arrival in the UFC, he took a bout with Clay Guida, losing via decision but rebounding to defeat Jeremy Stephens and Joe Lauzon in subsequent showings.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Just when you are having the best day ever, life will find a way to knock you down off that big shiny unicorn of happiness you've been riding in your mind all day. This morning I woke up smiley and prepared for a beautiful first day of Spring. I was humming the lyrics to 'It was a good day' by Ice Cube. All the lyrics that is, except the 'Momma cooked a breakfast with no hog' part because I simply can't support the notion that breakfast without bacon equals a good day. That's utterly impossible.
Everything was going fantastically, until I clicked on an MMAWeekly article informing me that Anthony Pettis has to have surgery and will be out for at least 8 more weeks. At least eight more weeks until I get my fix of Showtime kicks in the octagon is just plain the opposite of bueno. According to MMAWeekly.com Pettis' manager has stated that the surgery is minor and is 'required is to clean out some existing problems.' Although Pettis' camp did not choose to reveal the full nature of the surgery, in the fighting world you quickly learn the words 'clean out' usually indicate something associated with joints like the knees or elbows.
As much as I want to go out and punch a random crabby old guy over this news, it's really not as bad as it seems. I was already gypped out of my Showtime kick fix due to Frankie Edgar getting granted an immediate rematch with Bendo instead of the title shot Pettis was originally supposed to get. With no fights lined up for Anthony at the moment, now is the best time to go in for surgery and be ready to fight sometime later this summer. Until then I guess you can all get your Pettis fix by watching highlight reel footage. I'll find my Anthony Pettis induced happiness by reminding myself that his phone number is in my cell phone contact list. He probably doesn't know that though, so let's keep that a secret just between us. [source]
Props to James Law of HeavyMMA for the beautiful header photo.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight Anthony Pettis has been the focal point of many conversations in the mixed martial arts (MMA) community lately.
After his devastating first round knockout win over Joe Lauzon at UFC 144 on Feb. 25, 2012, in Saitama, Japan, many thought he may be headed for a rematch with the man who now holds the 155-pound crown, Ben Henderson. However, that was proven not to be when UFC President Dana White announced "Smooth" would be getting a different rematch, squaring off with the man he stole the belt from, Frankie Edgar.
The rumor mill continued to swirl, as MMA pundits pined for a possible move down by "Showtime" to face the Featherweight Champion, Jose Aldo.
Tonight, on FUEL TV's "UFC Tonight," guest analyst Chael Sonnen reported on Pettis' plans for the very near future:
"To bring you up to speed, Mr. Pettis is going to go in for some surgery -- he's going to be out for about eight weeks. He's going to make a comeback and it will be at 155 [pounds]."
The reason for the surgery, as well as the exact procedure, are both currently undisclosed. MMAmania.com will, of course, keep you updated on those specific developments as they become available.
The question for Pettis becomes: Who will he fight next? Apparently, he isn't fighting Henderson. Not any time soon, anyway. He's not fighting Aldo, as long as "Scarface" is fighting at 145 pounds, either.
The lightweight picture, in general, is very interesting. Nate Diaz is set to fight Jim Miller at UFC on Fox 3 in East Rutherford, N.J., on May 5, 2012. The winner is said to be next in line for a title shot, but is that ever really set in stone?
The truth is that there aren't a ton of fights outside another showdown with Henderson that make much sense at the moment. The UFC may end up just waiting and seeing what happens between Diaz and Miller and going from there.
In the meantime, Pettis will have no other option than to get healthy, wait and see who Joe Silva has in mind for him, and possibly work with Duke Roufus on some kicks that will make ESPN's "Top 10" list.
The idea of Anthony Pettis dropping to featherweight to fight for Jose Aldo's 145 pound title picked up a lot of steam when his manager made the statement that Pettis would do it "for the right terms." While the idea of the fight seemed amazing as Pettis and Aldo almost certainly couldn't put on a bad fight, there were immediate rebuttals to the idea that Pettis would actually drop in weight.
Anthony took to his Twitter late last night to make it clear he was not dropping any time soon:
@ShowtimepettisAnthony Pettis I'm not dropping to 145 to fight aldo! 155 is my home and I'll get that belt soon!!! #fb Mar 14 via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
Thoughts after the jump...
You can't really blame Pettis as he is probably only one win away from a lightweight title shot. I've said it before but it bears repeating; MMA fans are becoming way to quick to call for fighters to jump around in weight. Maybe it's my having watched boxing for far too long, but asking guys to drop over 6% of their total body weight is no small request and can have a significant impact on performance.
I'd love to see Pettis and Aldo mix it up at some point in the future, but I'd rather wait until it makes sense for either guy.
Anthony Pettis may not be getting the next crack at the UFC lightweight title, but he's not going anywhere but on a hunt for the next best challenge at 155lbs.
It appears a top lightweight may be considering a move to 145 pounds and it’s NOT Frankie Edgar.
On this week’s episode of UFC Tonight, correspondent Ariel Helwani confirmed Anthony Pettis is thinking about dropping down a weight class to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight title.
UFC President Dana White nearly named Pettis the #1 contender to Benson Henderson following the 28-year old’s victory over Edgar for the lightweight belt last month before changing gears and giving “The Answer” an immediate rematch. Now, it looks like “Showtime” might take the same spot White offered to Edgar as enticement to fight as a 145-pounder.
“I spoke to Anthony’s manager just a few hours ago and he told me that he was really disappointed, but he respects the decision,” said Helwani of Edgar receiving a rematch before adding, “He would consider going down to 145 to fight Aldo.”
Pettis was the last man to defeat Henderson, claiming the WEC lightweight title from him in the process, but started out his UFC run on a sour note after falling to Clay Guida via decision in his promotional debut. He has since picked up a pair of wins, outpointing Jeremy Stephens and knocking out Joe Lauzon last month.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Gilbert Melendez is fighting May 19. That much he does know. Who his opponent will be however is still the big mystery.
Melendez’s trainer/manager Cesar Gracie confirmed on Twitter today that Melendez is fighting on the May 19 Strikeforce card which will feature the finals of the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. More interesting though is what he tweeted after.
@ufc Gil is fighting May 19th. I hope Penn or Pettis
Both BJ Penn and Anthony Pettis would make great match-ups for Melendez. Better than any match-up Strikeforce could make for him. But the question is are they actually on the table as potential opponents or is Gracie just giving his wishlist?
That remains to be seen, however Melendez did tell MiddleEasy in a recent video interview that he didn’t think it would be Josh Thomson who seemed to emerge as the frontrunner to fight for the Strikeforce lightweight title next when he beat KJ Noons earlier this month at Strikeforce “Tate vs. Rousey.”
Anyone want to see Melendez vs. Penn or Melendez vs. Pettis?
If you think newly crowned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson is ducking anyone in the mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion's 155-pound division, well, think again.
After he defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 a few weeks ago in Japan, there was no shortage of opponents jumping at the chance to be the first to dethrone the new 155-pound kingpin. Specifically, the aforementioned Frankie Edgar and the last man to defeat "Smooth," Anthony Pettis.
After participating in two back-to-back-rematches of his own, Edgar believes he is deserving of the promotion granting him an immediate rematch against Henderson while Pettis feels he has done enough to earn first crack at the title. "The Answer" ultimately got the nod after he stood his ground and refused to dip down to the Featherweight division.
Even though an opponent is now confirmed for his first title defense in a stacked UFC lightweight division, Henderson won't have any problems whatsoever moving forward finding suitable opponents to challenge him, but as Henderson said on his appearance on "The MMA Hour," he will take on anybody who is put in front of him and defeat them, too.
Check it out:
"I will fight anybody that Dana White puts inside the cage against me. I want to fight every UFC 55 pounder on the roster, I want to beat all of them. I want to be that dilemma child for Joe Silva and for Sean Shelby. I want them to be like, 'Oh man, who are we going to give to Henderson next? Who is he going to fight next? He beat the entire roster, who is he going to fight next?' The fan in me feels, Frankie had a very tough situation, he had a rough road with two rematches right away, so the fan in me feels that he deserves, he had to put himself on the line and ... I don't think you guys really understand when I say this, I want to fight everybody, I'm going to beat everybody, just line them up. But they are going to have to work their way up to me."
Anthony Pettis, the last man to defeat Henderson at WEC 53 two years ago, say's even though he would love nothing more than to rematch against Benson, he doesn't feel the feeling is mutual. Henderson gave his thoughts on the situation:
"Do I want to face Pettis again? Absolutely, we will see each other again, before I retire, before I die I'm going to see Anthony Pettis again. But it's not my job to give him a title shot, it's not up to me to be like "Oh hey, I want to fight this guy, let's go see this guy." It's his job to work his way up to me, but we will see each other again. He will work his way up again, I know that, he is a tough kid. But is he worth of shot for beating number 10 Joe Lauzon and then and split decision over unranked Jeremy Stephens, or is he deserving because he beat me last? What makes him deserving? But it is what it is, whoever Dana White wants to put in front of me, my job is to go out there and go beat them. I don't want anyone saying I'm afraid to fight this guy or that guy."
So what did we learn today?
Ben Henderson will fight anybody you put in front of him.
Nate Diaz and Jim Miller are also looking to throw their names in that hat as well, as they lock horns at UFC on Fox 3 on May 5, 2012 in a fight that will have major title shot implications.
It's a good problem to have for the UFC and apparently Henderson, too.
Back in the early days of MiddleEasy we created that now infamous list of Top Ten Fades in MMA and discovered that some people are very serious about supporting their favorite fighters hair. So serious that within hours of publishing the list our inboxes were riddled with hate mail for not including the likes of Anthony Pettis and Pat Barry on our list. Although we regret not placing both of those super fresh fades on our list, none of that even matters anymore because Pat for one has sworn off keeping his hight and tight hair--high and tight.
Pat Barry has decided that he will not cut his hair until he gets a submission win in the UFC. This might not seem like a big deal to you, but Pat has always worn his perfectly coiffed shape-up with such fervor and finesse one can only wonder what might happen if Pat were to enter the Octagon looking like Bruno Mars or even worse rocking something more Clay Guida-ish. Will he taunt his next opponent -Lavar Johnson by singing 'Whip my Hair' by Willow Smith? We don't know what will happen with this new long hair, don't care version of Pat Barry. Oh, the mystery.
From the looks of Pat's hair at yesterday's press conference for the May 5th UFC on Fox card, Pat might have enough hair to be able to rock the 'Pauly D' just in time for his Jersey octagon appearance. Check out Pat talking to Ariel Helwani about his lengthening locks and his upcoming bout with Lavar Johnson:
{iframe}http://mmafighting.vid.io/v/5d7f63aa-67de-11e1-b3b0-123139282fa5{/iframe}
For new UFC lightweight champ Benson Henderson it has been nothing short of a crazy few weeks since winning the title at UFC 144. Instead of returning to the U.S. and basking in his glory, Henderson took a visit to Korea after defeating Frankie Edgar for the belt in Japan while hearing constant questioning about what his next move would be.
“Smooth” seems ready to get back in the routine of practice and training, and, as he revealed yesterday, is even willing to give Edgar the rematch he seeks.
“Frankie had a very tough situation. He had a rough road with two rematches right away after his title defenses,” said Henderson while serving as a guest on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour. “I’m more than willing to give Frankie a rematch. Let’s do it. Set it up for tomorrow.”
“Bendo” also elaborated saying he as a MMA fan understood Edgar’s case and didn’t want to be a guy they felt was afraid of giving the 30-year old another shot to make things right.
Additionally, Henderson talked about facing Anthony Pettis who UFC President Dana White said was near the front of the line in terms of a title-shot. “Showtime” was the last man to defeat Henderson, taking a WEC title from him, and picked up a Knockout of the Night win at UFC 144 over Joe Lauzon.
“Do I want to face Pettis again? Absolutely,” Henderson said after questioning Pettis’ recent accomplishments. “We will see each other again. Before I retire, before I die, I’m going to see Anthony Pettis again.”
For now, Henderson will wait and see what the UFC decides is next for him, but he will do so as the champion and with an open mind in terms of who he faces.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
If Anthony Pettis were Benson Henderson, he wouldn't want to fight Anthony Pettis either. At least, not if he plans to hold on to the title. That's according to "Showtime," who UFC President Dana White named as the "probable" number-one contender for Henderson's newly aqccuired throne following UFC 144. Meanwhile, on the same night, Henderson went on record stating that, in his opinion, Pettis wasn't ready to challenge for the title, and should spend some time working on his takedown defense.
After Anthony Pettis lost his UFC debut to Clay Guida and only eked out a Split Decision over Jeremy Stephens in his follow-up appearance, fans began questioning whether “Showtime” would ever live up to the hype he entered the promotion with thanks in large part to a spectacular WEC win against Benson Henderson featuring a memorable off-the-cage- kick. Pettis answered any critics last night at UFC 144 by flattening opponent Joe Lauzon with a head-kick less than 90 seconds into their main card clash.
Pettis’ performance was rewarded with Knockout of the Night honors in addition to a $65,000 check for the award.
A Full Rundown of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson Results
If Pettis started the PPV out on a pitch-perfect note, headlining lightweights Henderson and Frankie Edgar closed it out with equal excellence after the two talented 155ers went at it for 25 minutes in a highly entertaining affair. Though Henderson will head back to the United States with the divisional belt, each man will also have an extra $65,000 to contend with after their collective work was named Fight of the Night.
Last but not least, British finisher Vaughan Lee fended off an early surge from opponent Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto to procure a fight-ending Armbar. Not only was it the biggest win of the relative newcomer’s career but also earned him the largest payday he’s seen in MMA assisted in large part by the $65,000 his Submission of the Night showing brought in.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Former WEC Lightweight champion Ben "Smooth" Henderson discussed his performance against Frankie Edgar at UFC 144, and the surreal moment of becoming the new UFC Lightweight champion. Henderson will now wait to learn the identity of the first challenger for his title, with Anthony Pettis and Diaz vs. Miller winner as the main contenders.
Further Reading: Full UFC 144
SAITAMA -- After a sensational head kick KO of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, lightweight contender Anthony Pettis spoke to MMA Fighting about getting back on track after a disappointing 2011, why this win is a return to the WEC Anthony Pettis and why he believes he is the number one contender at 155 pounds.
In 2010, Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis fought for the WEC gold and produced what many ranked as the best fight of the year. After 14 months, a sequel might be finally be in the works, but this one for the most prestigious belt in the sport.After Henderson captured the UFC lightweight championship and Pettis scored a highlight reel knockout of his own at UFC 144, the duo might be on a collision course. Pettis immediately campaigned for the title shot, and when asked if Pettis' victory would net him a chance to face Henderson, UFC president Dana White indicated that it would."I think he's going to get it," White said.
White later backtracked a bit and acknowledged he'd have to think about it, but given their past history and the fact that they're on the same fight schedule, it seems likely that the pairing will be made.Pettis vaulted himself into the title picture after stopping Joe Lauzon in just 81 seconds, cracking Lauzon with a left high kick and then finishing him with a few ground strikes. Seconds afterward, Pettis mimicked putting a belt around his waist and said he was the No. 1 contender. A few hours later, Henderson earned a unanimous decision over Edgar to wrest the belt away from him."I’m the last guy to beat him so it makes sense for us to have a rematch," Pettis said. "I’m the last guy to beat him in the WEC, took his belt there, and it looks like I’m bound to do it again."The December 2010 bout between them is best remembered for Pettis' brilliant "Showtime Kick" in the final seconds of the fifth and final round. The move, in which he launched himself off the cage and kicked Henderson, flooring him, helped seal the win in a hard-fought decision. That made Pettis the final WEC champ and was supposed to earn him a UFC title shot, but instead, an Edgar vs. Gray Maynard fight went to a draw, necessitating a rematch. Instead of waiting, Pettis fought and lost to Clay Guida. But now he's won two straight, and the most recent one in dramatic fashion to put himself in position to fight for the belt again.As for the champ, Henderson said he had no opponent preference for his first title defense, though in the past he has said that he expected to face Pettis sometime in the near future."It really doesn't matter to me," he said. "I want to defend it however many times Anderson Silva defends his, plus 1. So whoever it happens to be, whether it's Frankie again, I'm down for that. Anthony Pettis, I see you doing big things and making waves. Great fighter, very spectacular. It happens to be Anthony, so be it. Whoever it is, I'm OK with it. I believe there’s a long list of guys. Nate [Diaz], Jim [Miller], Frankie, Anthony. Let’s do it. Let's do every single one of them."
But as far as Pettis is concerned, there's only one choice.
"You're looking at him. I'm the No. 1 contender," he said during a post-fight interview on FUEL TV.
It looks like Anthony Pettis will finally get his UFC title shot and it will be against the man he defeated to become the last ever WEC champion as well...
Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar won $65,000 for Fight of the Night at UFC 144 after Henderson took Edgar's lightweight title. Vaughan Lee and Anthony Pettis also got bonus checks in Japan.
EX-WEC lightweights had a good night at UFC 144 in Japan, and it appears that the last WEC fight ever might be re-created in the UFC octagon. As we all know by now, Ben Henderson claimed the UFC lightweight title with a unanimous decision win over Frankie Edgar in the main event tonight. Anthony Pettis led off the card with a highlight-reel head kick knockout of Joe Lauzon, and made it clear that he thinks he deserves a title shot. And UFC president Dana White agreed with that when he spoke at the post-fight press conference:
"I think he's gonna get it."
The two met the first time at WEC 53, where Pettis claimed the win and the WEC lightweight title and made the term "Showtime Kick" popular. White did temper his enthusiasm somewhat by saying that he doesn't like making those kinds of decisions on fight night and "we'll see what happens", but it'd be hard to deny Pettis his shot at this point. Many would like to see the winner of UFC on Fox 3's main event, Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller, get a shot, but that fight is three months from now and this seems to make more sense. Dana has been known to change his mind on these things all the time, but as of tonight, it looks like Ben Henderson will be making his first UFC lightweight title defense against a familiar foe.
SBN coverage of UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson
MMAWeekly.com caught up with Anthony Pettis for an exclusive one-on-one interview just minutes after he delivered a dazzling kick to the head of Joe Lauzon at UFC 144.
If Anthony Pettis wanted to make a statement that he should be the next fighter to compete for the UFC lightweight title, he went a long way to proving that at UFC 144.
SAITAMA, Japan - What was expected to be a barnburner turned into a quick and violent knockout for Anthony Pettis.
In a featured lightweight bout, the former WEC champion blasted fellow contender Joe Lauzon with an 81-second knockout via head kick.
The bout kicked off UFC 144's pay-per-view main card at Saitama Super Arena in Saitama,
Japan. It
followed prelims on FX and Facebook.
In 1993 Sega released the first polygonal fighter Virtua Fighter. As a young man at the time of release I did what every other kid at the time would do: pick the guy who looks like a ninja; Akira. Unbeknownst to me, playing as Akira was friggin complicated, he's one of the hardest characters to master in the game without a doubt. However, Akira could run the table if you just spammed headkicks. Now I'm not saying Anthony Pettis is a spammer, I would never suggest that. I am suggesting he's a ninja though, and if you got it, use it. Let's face it, no one had a higher ninja rating in the 155 division than the Duke Roufus Protege Anthony Pettis.
In just over a minute Showtime Pettis added another clip to his highlight reel with this knockout of Joe Lauzon.
[Source]
As with every major show, Bloody Elbow will be here to bring you live results, play by play and commentary for UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson. Our live coverage will start with the one fight on the Facebook prelim stream (roughly 7:30 p.m. ET) to the prelim card on Fuel (8 p.m. ET) and through the PPV main card (10 p.m. ET) so make sure to make Bloody Elbow your home for this event. And don't forget! Tonight's pay-per-view is four hours instead of the standard three.
This post will cover live results and thoughts for the pay-per-view main card.
Four hour main card means seven bouts instead of the standard five, so we're in for a long night. The main event sees UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar step into the cage to defend his title against Ben Henderson. A 211 pound catchweight fight takes place between Quinton Jackson and Ryan Bader in the co-main event slot after Jackson missed weight last night. Heavyweights Mark Hunt and Cheick Kongo will slug it out on the main card following a welterweight bout between Jake Shields and Yoshihiro Akiyama. Middleweight contender Yushin Okami takes on Tim Boetsch on the card. Rounding things out is a featherweight bout between Hatsu Hioki and Bart Palaszewski and a lightweight fight between Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon.
Make sure to come back during the event and share your thoughts as the event goes down.
UFC Lightweight title is on the line, tonight in Saitama, Japan, as Frankie Edgar defends his title for the fourth time, this time against Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Co-main event of the night features the Light Heavyweight showdown between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Ryan "Darth" Bader. Lightweight blockbuster between Anthony Pettis and Joe Lauzon serves as the main card opener.
Don't forget to join us at LowKick.com for Play-by-Play Commentary and Chat with a full panel of LowKick.com
Scrappy lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who is scheduled to face off against Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012), gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his trip to the Saitama Super Arena for the upcoming "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event in Japan.
For episode one, including his training footage, click here. Episode two's arrival in Japan right here and for our extensive preview covering the Lauzon vs. Pettis fight click here.
Veteran Lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who will look to take one step closer to title contention with a victory over Anthony Pettis in Japan, discusses his opponent, as well as his expectations for the fight. Lauzon is confident in his all-around skill-set and says he expects to "do what he wants" against the former WEC champ.Further Reading: Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson LowKick.com Staff Predictions
Scrappy lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who is scheduled to face off against Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 this Saturday night (Feb. 25, 2012), gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his trip to the Saitama Super Arena for the upcoming "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event in Japan.
For episode one, including his training footage, click here. For our extensive preview covering the Lauzon vs. Pettis fight click here.
TOKYO - As Anthony Pettis looks a few spots above his name on UFC 144's fight card, he knows it could be he - not Benson Henderson - fighting for the UFC lightweight title in Saturday's main event.
Fourteen months after defeating Henderson in the WEC's final event, Pettis now watches his former foe taking a headlining slot in a championship bout on a huge UFC event.
But rather than regret or jealousy, Pettis said it simply provides motivation as he prepares for his UFC 144 bout with fellow contender Joe Lauzon.
Two former WEC champions will appear on Saturday's UFC 144 card. Benson Henderson, the man who held the lightweight for more than a year, will fight Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight strap. Anthony Pettis, the man who took Henderson's … Continue reading →
Over the course of a few months Anthony Pettis went from being next in line for a UFC Lightweight title shot to having to fight his way back into title shot consideration.
Pettis took the WEC Lightweight crown from Benson Henderson at WEC 53 and was then lined up to face the winner of the January 1, 2011 Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard bout. The problem with that was, there was no winner. The fight finished in a draw and a rematch was booked, a rematch that was delayed by injury.
Pettis decided that
Ben Henderson isn’t sure how many times he’s seen the same highlight clip replayed over and over. "Hundreds and thousands," he estimates, and that doesn’t even count all the time spent talking about it in interviews. It was just a few seconds of his life lifted from a rare losing effort inside the cage, and a part of him knows that he’ll never fully escape it."I’m still not over it. I won’t lie to you," Henderson said. "I still get teary-eyed thinking about it. It affects me deeply to this day. It will affect me for the rest of my fighting career, for a long, long time. I’m very upset about it still. I can put it behind me, but am I totally over it, never think about it? No."Even if he wanted to forget, the sport wouldn’t let him. The clip of Anthony Pettis launching himself off the cage and into a jumping kick that floored Henderson quickly found its way onto ESPN and into MMA lore. It also changed both men’s lives, though not in the ways they might have expected as they stood in the cage that night in Glendale, Ariz., waiting for the judges’ scores to be read aloud.
Pettis claimed the victory, the fame, and the promise of a UFC title shot that night, though it ultimately came at a price. Henderson ended up sitting at the post-fight press conference, visibly struggling to suppress the tears that came up in waves whenever he thought about what had just happened."It was heart-wrenching," he said. "I was sad, and I’m still sad. It was heart-breaking. ...Every time I’m out there, I give you guys everything. I open up my heart and soul. I hold nothing back. To come up short, and to come up short in that manner, that hurt. But I’ll never let that happen again."That same night, Henderson said, he promised himself that he would not be defined by this one loss, this one kick. He would use it to make himself better, so that when people looked back on his career it would be little more than a footnote. After all, he told himself, didn’t Georges St. Pierre have to see clips of himself getting TKO’d by Matt Serra over and over again? Didn’t it only make him stronger in the end?"It’s the same thing for me. I’ve had to see that kick hundreds and thousands of times. I have to talk about it over and over and over. But I’m using it. I’m using it to make myself better."And he has. Even former foes like Pettis -- who will be forced to watch from the UFC 144 undercard this weekend as Henderson gets a crack at UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar in Tokyo -- can admit that."After our fight, he changed as a fighter," Pettis said. "He’s hungry. You can see it on his face, he’s ready to win this fight."Henderson will tell you now that, despite the heartbreak of the moment, in the long run the loss was "absolutely beneficial to my career." He didn’t overreact the way some fighters do after a painful defeat, dumping all their coaches and making cosmetic changes in an attempt to fix a problem they haven’t even truly diagnosed yet."But I think what I did change was my approach during the fight," he said. "I think against Pettis, the biggest thing I took away was that I was not aggressive enough. I didn’t have enough ring control. I think I did fine in the fight, landed more strikes, all that. But the problem was, I think I was backing up too much."If anything, the loss made him more aggressive. While he still insists he hates decisions -- "absolutely hate them" -- he resolved to make any fight that does go to the distance into an easy call for the judges and the fans."I can’t leave any doubt. There’s going to be no doubt in anyone’s mind after they watch one of my fights as to who won the fight."That seems problematic against Edgar, a champion who’s never been finished in his MMA career, and who has yet to lose a five-round fight. His indefatigable style and his ability to bounce back from even the most punishing blows make him seem nearly impossible to put him away, at least to some. Henderson, not surprisingly, doesn’t quite see it that way."If you make a mistake, you leave your neck out there for half a second too long, you leave your arm out there, you give me your knee, I will end the fight. If you leave your chin out there? Man, let me touch your chin. I will end the fight. It’s just a matter of a guy making a small mistake and giving me the opportunity."As for Pettis, the man who gave him this renewed sense of purpose and this extra drive, it’s nice for Henderson to know that his former nemesis is picking to win this one. And sure, he knows there might be some ulterior motives involved. Pettis could well be hoping that a Henderson win would make a rematch more likely, this time with a bigger title on the line, and Henderson doesn’t necessarily disagree with the notion."Maybe my second or third title defense, I could see fighting him again. I’d have no problem with that."After all, Pettis did stick him in that interminable highlight reel hell. It sure would be nice to return the favor. Sooner or later, Henderson said, he feels certain he’ll get the chance."I will say this: before I retire, before I leave this earth, I will see Anthony Pettis again in the cage."It just won’t be this weekend, when Pettis will have to content himself with watching on a monitor backstage while Henderson steps in the Octagon for the title shot he’s had to earn the hard way.
After suffering the first two losses of his career in consecutive fights, Evan Dunham has now won two straight and is back in the title hunt at 155 pounds.
Typically the only look the public gets at a UFC fighter’s preparation for an upcoming bout comes on one of the organization’s Countdown or Primetime shows. However, when it comes to Joe Lauzon’s training for a fight with Anthony Pettis later this month “J-Lau” himself is pulling back the curtain, even capturing the UFC’s production crew in the process.
Lauzon recently released a “behind the scenes” video featuring his work on an upcoming Countdown special attached to UFC 144 as well as a first-person view of his sparring sessions thanks to a helmet-cam concept.
Check Out this Extended Preview for February 25′s UFC 144
Though the only Lauzon to speak in the clip is younger brother (and fellow fighter) Dan Lauzon, rarely do fans get the kind of access provided in his vlog.
Watch the full video below:
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Scrappy lightweight contender Joe Lauzon, who is scheduled to face off against Anthony Pettis at UFC 144 on Feb. 25, 2012, gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at his pre-fight training camp for the upcoming "Edgar vs. Henderson" pay-per-view event in Japan.
For more on Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis at the Saitama Super Arena click here.
UFC top lightweight contender Ben Henderson, who will challenge Frankie Edgar for the title in February, says his loss to Anthony Pettis a year ago made him a better fighter.
We don't like to admit it, but sometimes we get it wrong. Seems awhile back when we created our Top Ten Fades in MMA list we didn't include Dany 'The Upgrade' Lauzon and he was a little bit heated at us about being left out. We definitely missed the mark on that Dany, and we apologize. We did miss the stellar fade jobs of Anthony Pettis and Frankie Edgar also, so please cut us a just a tiny bit of slack. There are so many fantastic fades in MMA it was a difficult task to choose just ten.
Maybe we can make it up to Dany by letting him know we really dig this amazing KO that he delivered Saturday night at Premier FC 7. At only about one minute and thirty seconds into the first round, Dany delivers a blow to Anthony Kaponis that results in Kaponis falling to the canvas with temporary myotonic muscular dystrophy-sort of like one of those viral video fainting goats. Kaponis' arms are up like a zombie frozen in full on rigor mortis. Check it out:
UFC lightweight Joe Lauzon has never been the most outspoken fighter unless the topic somehow relates to Call of Duty. However, when it comes to calling opponents out, Lauzon lets his skills in the Octagon do the talking for him rather than use media outlets to get his point across.
The latest individual to take the opposite route, mentioning Lauzon’s name as a person of interest, is Anthony Pettis. The former WEC champion discussed a potential fight with “J-Lau” in a recent interview given their mutual success earlier this month at UFC 136.
Pettis Changing Style to Compete with Elite Lightweights
Lauzon has since responded to the challenge, expressing his belief the two would make for an exciting fight but that he isn’t in the habit of choosing his opponents.
“I think it would be an exciting fight. It doesn’t matter to me who I fight. Whoever the UFC says they want me to fight, I’ll fight,” the Massachusetts native explained in an interview with The Boston Herald. “If they want it to be Anthony Pettis, I’ll fight Pettis.”
“I’m not sure why people are calling me out, but I’m fine with it,” Lauzon continued. “I have to be doing something right if everybody wants to fight me. I definitely don’t think it’s a bad thing. It’s awesome getting called out by guys like that, that are doing really well.”
“I think a lot of people are definitely paying more attention now,” the 27-year old concluded on his raised profile. “But I don’t really get caught up in what people think because two weeks ago everybody thought I was going to get knocked out. So I don’t really worry about it too much.”
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
Tweet
Let me give you the Lau-down on the next opponent for Anthony Pettis.
Fresh off his UFC 136 strangulation of Melvin Guillard, former "Ultimate Fighter' and perennial dark horse Joe Lauzon has become the man to beat for any 155-pound title chaser.
Including Anthony Pettis, who told Cage Fanatic it would make for a "great fight:"
"I don't know who my next opponent is but I'm going for that title shot, that title shot run, so anybody who's a top five guy, I'm ready for them. Joe Lauzon beat Melvin Guillard, I think that would be a great fight for me."
"Showtime," who also picked up a win at UFC 136 by outpointing Jeremy Stephens, is gunning for an eventual title fight against division kingpin Frankie Edgar, but knows he has his work cut out for him before that dream can become a reality.
Hear more from the former WEC lightweight champion after the jump.
How about it Maniacs, can anyone think of a more exciting fight for either of these two dynamic lightweights?
When the UFC absorbed the WEC in 2010, it looked as if Anthony Pettis, the WEC Lightweight Champion was in line to face the winner of the January 1 bout between UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard. Unfortunately for Pettis, that fight ended in a draw and a rematch between Edgar and Maynard was booked.
Pettis then took a chance, booking a fight against Clay Guida, a fight that Guida went on to win by unanimous decision. In a weight division as stacked as the UFC lightweight
Anthony Pettis won his fight with Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136, but he didn't win over too many new fans. Despite fighting a smart and safe fight, winning through the use primarily of wrestling, many fans were left wondering where the explosive and dynamic fighter who won the last ever WEC lightweight championship bout went. It's possible that Pettis just wanted to get back in the win column after losing a bout with Clay Guida in his UFC debut.
The Guida loss took Pettis out of his then position as the number one challenger to the UFC lightweight championship. As a result Pettis finds himself on the outside looking in with the near future arrival of Strikeforce lightweight champion Gilbert Melendez and the UFC on Fox bout between top contenders Guida and Ben Henderson.
That isn't discouraging Anthony though, as he tells Larry Pepe of Pro MMA Radio that he wants to fight a top five fighter before the year ends:
I'd love to get back in there by the end of the year. That'd be ideal. There's match ups going on right now and it doesn't seem too promising. But I'll be healthy and get ready and if anybody gets hurt or injured, I'll be ready.
A solid strategy for Pettis as big wins and being on the UFC's good side are the quickest paths to a shot at the title.
For fans of Anthony Pettis, UFC 136 may have been difficult to watch. Gone was his usual flash, and in its place, a Clay Guida clone. To win he employed plenty of wrestling, and very little striking. Though to be fair, it was Stephens who initiated the wrestling match, and so perhaps as a middle finger, Pettis made a statement more for Jeremy Stephens than for the LW division.
Much has been made of Pettis' ensuing quote with UFC.com about winning fights by "holding them down". Jon Luther, in yesterday's interview with Anthony Pettis on Sherdog radio, asked him about this, to which Anthony replied.
"I wanna clear that up too. That was more of a misquote. I didn't say that's how you only win fights. That's a huge part of the game. You look at the UFC LW division, and the top guys are all wrestlers. As a striker I need to adjust my game to fit in at the top levels of the UFC. By no means am I gonna hold people down, and try to win fights. I'm still going for my bread and butter, which is knockouts."
As to whether or not the "Showtime kick" has added undue pressure to his performance, Pettis added, "No, not really. In the Guida fight I was like, kind of, really focusing on my striking, and then I kind of believed in the hype and that I could try to knock everybody out. But that's not the case. Everybody's so good, you gotta be well rounded everywhere. For me if the Showtime kick happens, I'm not waiting for it to happen"
But will the LW wrestle-boxer obstacles compromise the identity of the man they call Showtime? "No I don't think so. I think I'm gonna have to find a way to make them work at this level. It's easy to do it when you're fighting guys who are not as good at striking, don't pose a threat, and you can do whatever you want. Now you have guys with good boxing, good kicking, and good defense. But you'll still see it, but it's gonna be limited. I gotta be careful. I gotta win fights. I can't throw Showtime kicks everytime."
When TJ De Santis asks him point blank whether or not it's possible to win off your back in the judges' eyes, Anthony responds, "If you submit someone yea, but not if you're not active...I think it's a flaw, yea. You're attacking, and the guy is just defending the whole time, you're the aggressor. You're the one holding down cage control. But if the guy's on top, you know what it looks like. It looks like he's holding you down. and he's winning the fight."
Some fighters have found success striking from their back. In fact, in perhaps the only case I can remember off the top of my head of a fighter essentially winning from his back, you have to go back to another Clay Guida fight: against Diego Sanchez, who bloodied hm up with elbows from the bottom. Pettis seems skeptical of this approach.
"That's the thing. Do you want to get into that kind of detail, where it's 'how can I show these judges that I'm winning'? Or should I just get up, take him down, and hold him? That's that fine line where you've gotta decide what kind of fighter you want to be. And I want to be the fighter that wins fights. For me it's about my paycheck, and if I lose I don't get my paycheck."
Pettis is still a promising prospect, but it sounds like he's having a bit of identity crisis. Has he gone from romantic to cynic? He still wants to be the guy everyone fell in love with at the final WEC show, but now he recognizes that compromises have to be made if he's to have any success. Let's hope for a Pettis fight against either Jim Miller, Joe Lauzon, or the winner of Donald Cerrone vs. Denis Siver.
Anthony Pettis was a walking highlight reel during his time in the WEC. He famously landed the "showtime kick" against Ben Henderson in a moment that likely won him the last ever WEC lightweight championship and was set up to challenge the winner of Gray Maynard and Frankie Edgar for the UFC lightweight crown. Edgar and Maynard battled to a draw and the course of Pettis' career was changed as he took a fight with Clay Guida rather than wait for the Edgar/Maynard situation to be resolved.
Guida did what Guida does and ground out a decision victory and derailed the title hopes of Pettis (at least in the immediate future).
Pettis rebounded this past weekend at UFC 136 with a split decision win over the very tough Jeremy Stephens. Many fans were left a little disappointed as Pettis utilized his wrestling much more than his explosive striking to earn the win on two of three judges cards. It was a fine strategy and a win is a win, but a video on UFC.com shows that Pettis isn't thrilled with just earning the "W":
I really wanted to focus on my wrestling and my top game against Jeremy and show everyone that I am well-rounded and that I do have wrestling. I think I did that, but I also think I could have done better. When you go to the UFC it's not all about 'showtime' kicking or knocking everybody out. Get people down, hold them down and you win fights.
I think it's a little inaccurate to say this is some function of "going to the UFC." You're fighting in front of the same judges with the same criteria in place. There is no rule of "UFC = hold them down to win." And, if anything, the rewards are bigger in the UFC to be exciting in an attempt to win some sort of fight night bonus.
But if this is something Anthony has in his mind, it may be something we see more of in his future bouts.
The sky remains the limit for Pettis though, and we'll just have to take it one fight at a time to see where he ends up.
SBN coverage of UFC 136: Edgar vs. Maynard III
Anthony Pettis is celebrating his return to the win column after taking a split-decision win over Jeremy Stephens at the weekend.But he has expressed disappointment...
MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani caught up with Frankie Edgar, Chael Sonnen, Joe Lauzon, Anthony Pettis, Demian Maia and Nam Phan to talk about their fights at UFC 136.
Filed under: MMA Videos, UFC, MMA Fighting Exclusive, VideosHOUSTON -- MMA Fighting caught up with Anthony Pettis after his split decision win over Jeremy Stephens at UFC 136. Pettis discusses his performance, expectations after his "Showtime" kick, if he regrets taking the Clay Guida fight and much more.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments
Anthony Pettis' second appearance inside the Octagon wasn't an easy one as he narrowly edged veteran Jeremy Stephens, winning the contest by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
Pettis came out fast in the opening frame, throwing a variety of kicks and punches with little success. Stephens countered with a couple of glancing shots and two brief takedowns, likely taking the first round on most scorecards.
Pettis landed a takedown early in the second round, beating on Stephens from top control and using knees to the body to maintain position. Stephens eventually made his way back to his feet at the halfway mark, but Pettis found ways to bring Stephens back to the mat repeatedly. Pettis threatened with a rear naked choke late in the round. Stephens escaped, however, trying to tee off on Pettis as the horn sounded.
Stephens pressed hard to open the third, taking down Pettis thirty seconds into the round. Pettis escaped to his feet after a brief exchange, then took it to Stephens, repeatedly taking him down over the remainder of the round. Stephens did have many moments in which he regained his feet quickly, avoiding any damage from Pettis. He also reversed a few takedown attempts from Pettis, making the round hard to score for the judges.Pettis lost to long-time UFC veteran Clay Guida in his promotional debut at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in October. He was previously crowned the WEC's final lightweight champion at WEC 53 in December, edging Ben Henderson by unanimous decision in a wild affair.
Like Pettis, Stephens is also one of the UFC's promising young bucks. He entered tonight's contest with a 4-1 record in his last 5 appearances, only faltering to Melvin Guillard at UFC 119 in a narrow split decision loss. He defeated Marcus Davis and Danny Downes in his last two appearances.
"Lil' Heathen" takes on Anthony Pettis at UFC 136: "Edgar vs. Maynard III" on Saturday night (Oct. 8) in Houston, Texas. Which one of these talented lightweights gets one step closer to a division title shot and who goes to the back of the line?
"Lil' Heathen" takes on Anthony Pettis at UFC 136: "Edgar vs. Maynard III" on Saturday night (Oct. 8) in Houston, Texas. Which one of these talented lightweights gets one step closer to a division title shot and who goes to the back of the line?
UFC 136 is by far more stacked card that you would originally think. Former WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony "Showtime" Pettis will make his second appearance inside the Octagon, this time facing the hard-hitting Jeremy Stephens in a Spike-TV aired portion of the card. Twenty-and-six Stephens currently enjoys a two-fight winning streak in the UFC, with sights on moving up in the UFC Lightweight ladder. Lil' Heaten documents his preparations for the fight with Anthony Pettis, and the road to UFC 136 in
MMA Nation's Luke Thomas speaks to Anthony Pettis about his upcoming UFC 136 bout with Jeremy Stephens and the bout (and title shot) he lost to Clay Guida.
"Lil' Heathen" takes on Anthony Pettis at UFC 136: "Edgar vs. Maynard III" on Saturday night (Oct. 8) in Houston, Texas. Which one of these talented lightweights gets one step closer to a division title shot and who goes to the back of the line?
The last man to hold the WEC lightweight title, Anthony Pettis, lost his chance at fighting the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard after being mugged by Clay Guida back in June. Hear why "Showtime" thinks his UFC 136 fight against Jeremy Stephens will redeem him by clicking here.
Jeremy Stephens and Anthony Pettis will go toe-to-toe LIVE on Spike TV at this weekend's UFC 136 in Houston, Texas. Heavy.com have all the best shots from Stephen's final preparations for "Showtime".
Here at MMAjunkie.com, we largely avoid the typical pre-fight banter and promises of destruction when it comes to headlines and story intros.
But with Jeremy Stephens, an ultra-confident lightweight who meets Anthony Pettis at Saturday's UFC 136 event, it's not so much trash-talk as statements of fact.
As far as Stephens is concerned, he's not threatening anything. He's just telling you how Saturday plays out: He's going to hunt down Pettis, work the body, hit the chin, and "destroy him."
MMAWeekly Radio Wednesday is loaded with UFC lightweight Anthony Pettis, Strikeforce's No. 1 155-pound challenger Jorge Masvidal, and "Wonderboy" Stephen Thompson.