“Mamma Mia!” The broadcast team for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is official. There has been a lot of speculation regarding Showtime’s broadcast team for their Aug. 26 pay-per-view (PPV). The network has been praised for their commentary team during boxing broadcasts. Mauro Ranallo serves as the play-by-play announcer, while Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi provide […]
“Mamma Mia!” The broadcast team for Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather is official. There has been a lot of speculation regarding Showtime’s broadcast team for their Aug. 26 pay-per-view (PPV). The network has been praised for their commentary team during boxing broadcasts. Mauro Ranallo serves as the play-by-play announcer, while Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi provide […]
One of the most asked for super-fights that mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been clamoring to see is a match-up between two dynamic strikers in UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis. Pettis is the former champion of the 155-pound division, that is now headed by ‘The Notorious One’, who now competes
One of the most asked for super-fights that mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been clamoring to see is a match-up between two dynamic strikers in UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor and Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis.
Pettis is the former champion of the 155-pound division, that is now headed by ‘The Notorious One’, who now competes in McGregor’s former championship weight class of 145 pounds. Pettis will be challenging No. 2-ranked Max Holloway for the interim featherweight strap in the main event of UFC 206 this weekend (Saturday December 10, 2016).
‘Showtime’ recently joined Matt Sera and Jim Norton on the UFC Unfiltered podcast, courtesy of MMA Mania, to discuss his upcoming throw-down with Holloway, as well as a potential match-up with ‘The Notorious One’:
“I see Max as a younger version of myself; raw, natural talent and he definitely wants it bad. But I got the skill set to beat the guy with the striking and I got the power and size on him,” said Pettis.
“The only other striker he fought of my caliber is Conor McGregor, and you saw how that went down. I feel like I have way more tools than Conor McGregor,” he said. “Conor McGregor has a big left hand and some decent kicks. I have submissions, wrestling, I have everything; I’m the complete package. Now I have the size, so it’s a great weight class for me.”
A fight between Pettis and McGregor isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility, as it is very possible that McGregor makes his return to the Octagon at the 145-pound weight division to recapture the title he never lost. If Pettis can find his way past Holloway and Aldo in the coming months, he may very well find himself standing across the cage from the lightweight champion.
Pettis and Holloway will meet in the main event of UFC 206 live on pay-per-view (PPV) for the interim featherweight title, from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada this Saturday (December 10, 2016).
Max Holloway is currently riding an extremely impressive nine-fight win streak, having defeated names such as Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens, and most recently Ricardo Lamas; and is currently the No. 3-ranked featherweight in the UFC. The 24-year-old has yet to receive a title shot since downing the elite of the 145-pound weight class,
Max Holloway is currently riding an extremely impressive nine-fight win streak, having defeated names such as Cub Swanson, Charles Oliveira, Jeremy Stephens, and most recently Ricardo Lamas; and is currently the No. 3-ranked featherweight in the UFC.
The 24-year-old has yet to receive a title shot since downing the elite of the 145-pound weight class, but has the opportunity to thrust himself into the title picture with a win over former lightweight champ Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis next month. The two will meet in the co-main event of UFC 206 with the winner most likely the next candidate to challenge for the 145-pound throne.
With a win Holloway does not want a rematch with current featherweight champ Conor McGregor, however, but instead a fight with interim 145-pound champ Jose Aldo who has gotten under the skin of the Hawaiian as of late. Speaking on SiriusXM Rush’s Toe-2-Toe earlier this week (courtesy of MMA Fighting), Holloway called the Brazilian champ a ‘pu**y’ for threatening to retire if not granted his rematch with ‘The Notorious One’ form UFC 194:
“After this fight everything to my agenda is let me know if Aldo found that f**king vaccine for that f**king pussy-itis he got. That motherf**ker been running. So tell him he can’t run for much longer. Tell him a Hawaiian is coming and I’m creeping. Tell him to be ready.”
While Holloway admits the obvious thing to do with a win over Pettis would be to call out McGregor, but believes the more ‘realistic’ option would be to throw down with Aldo next.
Make no mistake, however, Holloway would still love to avenge his previous loss to the Irishman, and welcomes the opportunity to silence the naysayers who claim that he was the only opponent the heavy-handed SBG Ireland product didn’t knock out because he was injured:
“The obvious thing is I would love to fight Conor McGregor. We’ve got some history there and he won and people saying he didn’t knock me out because of an injury he had. I was injured in the fight too so let’s test that theory, I want to test that theory. But being realistic, there’s a guy with an interim title inside our division. That’d be f**kin’ wild if the UFC let me pass the interim title to fight for the real belt. I’m just being realistic, that’s why I’m saying Aldo. And Conor’s gonna be gone for a while too. They said he might not be fighting for a while.”
“I have no control over it so why cry over spilled milk? You spill milk, are you gonna try and mop it up and squeeze the mop back into the carton? No, you mop that s**t up and you move on. I’m not gonna cry about something I have no control over. It is what it is. I’m gonna keep showing the world what I deserve…and they can’t be denying me for much longer. All I have to do is keeping on focusing on what Max Holloway does and that’s winning and winning fashionably.”
Despite many believing that Holloway could potentially hold out for a title fight given his recent streak of impressive victories, ‘Blessed’ instead wants to continue proving he is the best in the world. What better opportunity to do so than defeating a former champion?
“I ain’t making no excuses. Everybody is like, ‘oh you deserve a title shot, you should wait.’ If you’re waiting then you don’t believe you’re the best guy in the world. I believe I’m the best guy in the world. Pettis has a lot of value to his name. He’s a former champion. Motherf**ker’s on a Wheaties box so that’s pretty big. He has a huge name and I look forward to the challenge.”
If Holloway is able to emerge victorious over ‘Showtime’ come fight night in Canada, do you believe that a match-up with Aldo is on the horizon? Or will he again be denied a shot at the UFC gold he has been working towards his entire career?
Holloway and Pettis will meet in the co-main event of UFC 206 live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on December 10, 2016.
With all due respect to Rafael dos Anjos, he won’t beat UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis on Saturday night at UFC 185 in Dallas, Texas. Dos Anjos is rugged. He’s never been submitted via hold (the submission loss to Clay Guida in 2010 was because of a jaw injury). The only time he was […]
With all due respect to Rafael dos Anjos, he won’t beat UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis on Saturday night at UFC 185 in Dallas, Texas. Dos Anjos is rugged. He’s never been submitted via hold (the submission loss to Clay Guida in 2010 was because of a jaw injury). The only time he was […]
There’s a scene in The Simpsons episode, “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson” where a fight breaks out between Fat Tony’s gang and the Yakuza. While the battle rages in front of the Simpson residence, there is one Yakuza dressed in a white suit that stands with his arms crossed doing nothing. Seeing this, Homer remarks to Marge, “That little guy hasn’t done anything yet. Look at him. He’s going to do something, and you know it’s going to be good.” That’s how I felt watching UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis face Gilbert Melendez in the co-headlining fight at UFC 181.
There’s a scene in The Simpsons episode, “The Twisted World of Marge Simpson” where a fight breaks out between Fat Tony’s gang and the Yakuza. While the battle rages in front of the Simpson residence, there is one Yakuza dressed in a white suit that stands with his arms crossed doing nothing. Seeing this, Homer remarks to Marge, “That little guy hasn’t done anything yet. Look at him. He’s going to do something, and you know it’s going to be good.” That’s how I felt watching UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis face Gilbert Melendez in the co-headlining fight at UFC 181.
When the fight began it was clear that Melendez, the then number one ranked UFC lightweight contender, intended to put as much pressure as possible on the defending champ. Melendez’s objective was to remove space and time, two things Pettis has used to great effect, from the champ’s arsenal.
Melendez, the former Strikeforce lightweight champion, was successful for most of the first round. Sure, he ate a couple kicks, but he was never in danger. Melendez controlled the pace and location of the fight for the majority of those five minutes. As cageside commentator Joe Rogan remarked as the first stanza came to a close, “This is the perfect fight for Gilbert right now. If he keeps this up, this is the type of fight he can win.”
When the fighters went to their corners, Jake Shields remarked to Melendez, “He doesn’t like your pressure.” And from the way Pettis looked as the second round was set to begin, mouth open and sucking air while his stomach heaved; those words did not come across as idle cornerman bullshit. Across from Pettis stood a confident and composed Melendez.
When the second round began, Melendez again pressured Pettis, cutting off angles and keeping the champion on his heels. The challenger kept Pettis on the defensive.
Until he didn’t.
After a brief striking exchange, Melendez dove in for a single leg takedown. It wasn’t a perfect attempt. In the process of going for that takedown, Melendez left his neck exposed for a split second, and that’s when Pettis did something good.
Pettis latched on to Melendez’s exposed neck and dropped into guard, immediately tightening a guillotine choke. The choke forced Melendez to tap for this first time in his twelve-year professional mixed martial arts career.
It was the second time in two fights that Pettis had finished a fight with a spectacular submission. The first, an armbar on then UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson at UFC 164, earned Pettis UFC gold.
Prior to the two recent submission victories, Pettis had earned a TKO victory over Donald Cerrone and a knockout win over Joe Lauzon. Both of those wins, like his triumphs over Melendez and Henderson earned him Fight Night Bonus awards.
Just how dominating has Pettis been in his last four contests? Well, if time spent in the Octagon is something you put stock in, he’s been overwhelming. In those four fights, Pettis has spent a total of just over 15 minutes in the Octagon. Melendez was the only fighter that took him out of the first round in those contests.
Another thing to consider is the fact that Pettis is walking through legitimate top-level competition during his run. His wins are not like the victories of UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, where the competition is based on some vague idea of potential. Melendez, Henderson and Cerrone have long been recognized as top tier UFC talent.
Another thing to take into account is the fact that Pettis does not play it safe, a charge that has been leveled at UFC featherweight champion and current number two ranked UFC pound-for-pound competitor Jose Aldo. Playing it safe or laying back and looking for a decision are not things Pettis has shown any affinity for.
Pettis has been so overwhelming as of late that terms thrown around by Rogan, such as “monster,” “devastating,” “nasty,” “dynamic,” and “scary” seem to miss the mark when it comes to Pettis. At this point, the only fighter you can compare him to in the “what will we see next from him” category is UFC light heavyweight champion and number one pound-for-pound fighter Jon Jones.
Perhaps the most fitting word to describe Pettis is the nickname that is emblazoned across his shoulder blades – “Showtime”. It’s one of the few times in MMA that a fighter’s nickname is 100 percent accurate.
Sadly, we haven’t seen all that much of Pettis. Since making his UFC debut in June 2011 injuries have limited him to just six trips to the Octagon. Hell, UFC welterweight Neil Magny fought inside the Octagon six times between Pettis’ last two fights. In the ultimate “What have you done for me lately?” sport, it’s hard to fathom how much attention Pettis would be receiving if he had managed to stay healthy and active.
If Pettis pull off another spectacular fight ending move when he faces number one ranked contender Rafael dos Anjos on Saturday at UFC 185, he may just become the fighter that gets fans to once again focus on the sub-170 pound UFC fighters — a group that has been overlooked by many fight fans since the heyday of B.J. Penn.
December 16, 2010. WEC 53. The blue cage would see its final night under the bright lights. The UFC was absorbing the lighter weight classes into its ranks, and the winner of the night’s main event between Benson Henderson and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis would be the final WEC lightweight champion and earn a unification fight […]
December 16, 2010. WEC 53. The blue cage would see its final night under the bright lights. The UFC was absorbing the lighter weight classes into its ranks, and the winner of the night’s main event between Benson Henderson and Anthony “Showtime” Pettis would be the final WEC lightweight champion and earn a unification fight […]
A fight between Pettis and McGregor isn’t too far out of the realm of possibility, as it is very possible that McGregor makes his return to the Octagon at the 145-pound weight division to recapture the title he never lost. If Pettis can find his way past Holloway and Aldo in the coming months, he may very well find himself standing across the cage from the lightweight champion.
Despite many believing that Holloway could potentially hold out for a title fight given his recent streak of impressive victories, ‘Blessed’ instead wants to continue proving he is the best in the world. What better opportunity to do so than defeating a former champion?