Tag: Ben Henderson

Anthony Pettis Uses Amazing Kick to Beat Ben Henderson

Filed under: UFC, WEC, NewsAnthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.

The kick all but defies d…

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Anthony Pettis brought the WEC promotion to an end in style on Thursday night, using one of the most incredible kicks in the history of the sport to seal the victory against Ben Henderson at WEC 53.

The kick all but defies description: Pettis jumped into the air, pushed off the fence with his foot and landed an incredible head kick at the end of the fifth round, putting an emphatic ending on his unanimous decision victory. The kick looked like something out of a martial arts movie, but Pettis said it’s something he and his coach have been working on.

“Duke Roufus, we practice that all the time,” Pettis said. “I’ve got 10 more of those kicks coming when I’m in the UFC. How do you like that to end the WEC?”

Video: Anthony Pettis’ Showtime Kick Floors Ben Henderson at WEC 53

Filed under: UFC, WECAnthony Pettis is nicknamed “Showtime,” and for good reason. Exhibit A: Pettis’ fifth-round off-the-cage kick that put the finishing touches on Ben Henderson during their WEC 53 match.

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Anthony Pettis is nicknamed “Showtime,” and for good reason. Exhibit A: Pettis’ fifth-round off-the-cage kick that put the finishing touches on Ben Henderson during their WEC 53 match.

Anthony Pettis’ Striking Coach Duke Roufus Talks About ‘Showtime Kick’

Filed under: UFC, WEC, FanHouse ExclusiveIt was the Kick Heard ‘Round the World, a climbing, twisting, off-the-cage, out-of-the-video-games-and-into-Ben-Henderson’s-face, mind-scrambler of a strike in the 25th and final minute of a WEC championship mat…

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It was the Kick Heard ‘Round the World, a climbing, twisting, off-the-cage, out-of-the-video-games-and-into-Ben-Henderson’s-face, mind-scrambler of a strike in the 25th and final minute of a WEC championship match that shot Anthony Pettis into the consciousness of sports fans everywhere.

While his aim is to stay there for more than just one night, it’s safe to say that regardless of his future, the 23-year-old cemented himself a place in MMA history by authoring one of the sport’s most incredible moments.

According to his striking coach, kickboxing great Duke Roufus, it was no accident. Roufus told MMA Fighting that it’s a kick that was conceived a few years ago and practiced weekly by Pettis during training camp.

WEC 53 Aftermath Notes: Video of ‘The Showtime Kick’, Prelim Madness, Bonuses + More

(In slo-mo for your convenience. Props: kemist. Full-speed gif is at the end of this post.)
Let’s get this out of the way: The cage-spring head-kick that Anthony "Showtime" Pettis landed on Ben Henderson in their lightweight title fight at …


(In slo-mo for your convenience. Props: kemist. Full-speed gif is at the end of this post.)

Let’s get this out of the way: The cage-spring head-kick that Anthony "Showtime" Pettis landed on Ben Henderson in their lightweight title fight at last night’s WEC 53 event was 1) The greatest kick in MMA history, 2) Maybe the most impressive knockdown in MMA history, and 3) Further proof that Pettis is one of the most exciting 155’ers in the universe. (He’s also punched his ticket to challenge for the UFC lightweight title against either Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard, who both look dull as hell by comparison.)

We already knew Pettis was capable of stuff like this, but to have the balls to throw that kick in the fifth round of a title fight? If he planted his foot wrong, the video above might be titled "Ultimate Fail." Instead, he clinched the match on the judges scorecards with absolute authority. Said Pettis after the fight: “Duke Roufus plays with us, and we try these new kicks. He told us if one of us lands it in the cage that he would take us to dinner. So he owes me some dinner.”

The main event earned both men $10,000 Fight of the Night bonuses. As action-packed as the "Henderson vs. Pettis" broadcast was, the unaired prelims were equally hardcore, producing five first-round stoppages in seven bouts…

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WEC 53 Provides a Fitting End to an Underappreciated Brand

Filed under: WECGLENDALE, Ariz. – There must have been some misunderstanding. When the fighters on the WEC 53 fight card were told that Thursday night’s event was the last WEC show, perhaps what they heard was that it was the last MMA event ever.

If …

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GLENDALE, Ariz. – There must have been some misunderstanding. When the fighters on the WEC 53 fight card were told that Thursday night’s event was the last WEC show, perhaps what they heard was that it was the last MMA event ever.

If that were the case it might – just might – explain how the WEC managed to pull off such an unforgettable event.

How unforgettable was it? For one thing, it wasn’t until the fifth fight of the night that a bout finally made it out of the first round. Even then, it was a three-round war between Brad Pickett and Ivan Menjivar that drew a standing ovation from the crowd – and that wasn’t even the best fight of the night.

WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis — Live Results and Commentary

(Quick prediction: Dominick Cruz will win his fight via DQ [eye-pokes/mohawk]. Photos courtesy of the WEC 53 Weigh In Pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com)Well folks, the next time you see these guys, they’ll be wearing UFC gloves, slugging it out in a …

Ben Henderson Anthony Pettis WEC 53 weight in photos
Dominick Cruz Scott Jorgensen WEC MMA photos
(Quick prediction: Dominick Cruz will win his fight via DQ [eye-pokes/mohawk]. Photos courtesy of the WEC 53 Weigh In Pics gallery on CombatLifestyle.com)

Well folks, the next time you see these guys, they’ll be wearing UFC gloves, slugging it out in a slightly-larger cage and picking up every Fight of the Night bonus they can get their slightly-smaller hands on. Tonight, the WEC says farewell with two title fights and their usual assortment of relentless scrappers. Round-by-round updates from the Versus broadcast will be accumulating after the jump beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest.

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