After just five fights in four years, Anthony Pettis knew something had to change.
Injury after injury piled up, stealing important years from his prime.
He did not enjoy being known as a frail champion, as someone who constantly pulled out of scheduled fights.
He did not enjoy being the butt of jokes. Not when all he wanted was to defend his belt on a consistent basis and to make a lot of money. He wanted to be the UFC’s king of pay-per-view, a must-see attraction. But he couldn’t be the king of pay-per-view if he couldn’t stop pulling out of pay-per-views.
And so Pettis looked at his training methods, and he made a decision. He cut back on hard sparring sessions in the gym. He amped up his strength and conditioning.
“I trained a lot smarter this camp. I never pushed past gear five,” Pettis told Bleacher Report. “I’m always in gear three or four. I know I can fight. I don’t get in big brawls in the gym. But I had to learn it the hard way. One injury made me change my whole mindset.”
The change helped ensure that Pettis arrived, healthy, for his UFC 185 title defense Saturday against Rafael dos Anjos.
It is a dangerous fight for Pettis because Dos Anjos has the unfortunate combination of good fighting skills and almost zero name value. But for Pettis, it is another opportunity to prove that he’s one of the UFC’s most exciting stars. He wants to enter the echelon currently occupied by Ronda Rousey.
He wants to be the kind of star that entices casual fans, who perhaps only buy one or two pay-per-views a year, to pony up to watch him fight.
“I want to be that guy who gets people who only buy one pay-per-view,” he said. “I want them to know that I put on a show against everyone I face, whether they have a big name or not.”
One big name Pettis is consistently linked to is Conor McGregor, the brash featherweight who has claimed he’ll capture the featherweight title this summer, clean out the division and then move up to take Pettis‘ belt as well. McGregor became one of the UFC’s biggest stars by talking. He backed it up in the Octagon, but it was McGregor‘s mouth that caused fans to take notice. In doing so, he laid a blueprint for other fighters to follow: talk trash, win fights and become a star.
But even though McGregor‘s way worked like a charm, Pettis wants no part of it. He would rather be known for his performances in the Octagon, not the things he says outside of it.
“You can do it McGregor‘s way, and your career will be really quick. Look at Chael Sonnen. Anderson Silva was the man for 8 or 9 years. Georges St-Pierre. B.J. Penn. Your performances have to do it for you,” Pettis said. “More power to you, but I am not that guy. I’m not going to change who I am. I’m a flashy dude, but I am respectful.”
He is certainly flashy. His “Showtime Kick” will forever live in highlight infamy, but it is his penchant for finishing fights out of nowhere that makes him so dangerous. Out of his last four fights, Pettis has four finishes: two different knockouts and two different submissions. And as Gilbert Melendez found out in December, Pettis has the ability to finish out of nowhere; one second, Melendez was working an effective game plan. The next, he was tapping out to a lightning-quick guillotine choke.
The quick finishes are part of the game plan. The longer a fight goes on, the more chance there is of an adverse conclusion. Pettis tries to avoid adverse conclusions.
“I try to end them as quick as possible,” he said. “All it takes it one punch and the whole fight can change. I’m not going to try to grind you out.”
When Pettis arrives in Dallas, he’ll do so with a new friend and training partner: Phil “C.M. Punk” Brooks. The former pro wrestler signed with the UFC late last year and began training alongside Pettis at Roufusport last month. Though he won’t actually be in Pettis‘ corner Saturday night, he’ll be backstage, getting a taste of an actual UFC fight week.
“We want him to get the experience. He’s been around UFC events before. But now, he’s seeing what it takes to do a training camp,” Pettis said. “For me, it’s just another close friend. I consider him a teammate now.”
If Pettis gets past Dos Anjos, he’d like to fight again soon. He has spent enough time on the sidelines. Potential bouts with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Donald Cerrone, Jose Aldo and McGregor loom on the horizon.
“It feels amazing. I have no injuries,” he said. “Belt or no belt, I’m staying busy and fighting.”
Staying busy and fighting. If he can accomplish that goal, he’ll be on his way.
Jeremy Botter covers MMA for Bleacher Report.
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