Anthony
Pettis is of the finest examples of a fighter who likes to put
the “art” into mixed martial arts. Over the years, the former
Ultimate Fighting Championship and
World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight
titleholder has built a reputation for himself as an innovator of
the game, thanks to many entertaining performances. In advance of
Pettis’ (25–12, 1-2 PFL) upcoming clash with
Steven Ray at
PFL 5, let us revisit five of
the fights that earned the Wisconsin-born fighter the nickname
“Showtime.”
There was magic in the air for the WEC 53 headliner, a lightweight
championship affair between defending titleholder Henderson and
Pettis. People attending the final WEC card at the Jobing.com Arena
in Glendale, Arizona, on Dec. 16, 2010, were not disappointed. For
five rounds, the two contestants performed nonstop action,
including flashy strikes and submission attempts. The
highlight-reel moment of the fight was a never-seen-before kick
that Pettis landed after launching himself off the cage with his
right leg, a highly technical and innovative strike that knocked
down his foe. The “Showtime kick” is still one of the most
appreciated moments in mixed martial arts history. Ultimately,
Pettis took home a unanimous decision victory with 48-47, 48-47 and
49-46 nods from the judges. Pettis and Henderson collided again
with the UFC title on the line at UFC 164 in Aug. 2013, when Pettis
quickly submitted his longtime rival via first-round armbar.