Rewind to WEC 53 in December.
Anthony Pettis is a +170 underdog to then-WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson going into their title fight. No one is picking the 24-year-old Roufusport prospect to walk out of Glendale, Ariz., with the belt and most are picking him to get finished inside of three rounds.
One kick off the cage later, and Pettis is one of the top lightweights in the world?
How the hell did this happen?
I had the same reaction as everyone else when Pettis landed the “Showtime Kick” off the cage, which was a gasp, my jaw hitting the floor and a steady stream of expletives flowing from my mouth.
I’ll never forget where I was when I saw it, and it is still one of my favorite MMA moments. But aren’t we all overreacting a bit?
Guida is a genuine threat to the lightweight title at this point in his career. Since joining Greg Jackson’s camp in late 2009, Guida has gone 3-1 with three straight submission victories including a win over former Pride champion Takanori Gomi at UFC 125.