Anthony Pettis is one of the most famous lightweights in MMA history. He has competed for the best promotions in MMA including the WEC, UFC, and Professional Fight League. Pettis is primarily known for this dynamic striking, athletic ability, and finishing prowess.
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He has competed against the best lightweights in the world for the majority of his career and captured world titles along the way. The Wisconsin native continues to compete at the highest level and will forever be remembered as a legendary lightweight competitor. Here are 10 things MMA fans should know about Anthony Pettis.
10 He Started His Career 9-0
Pettis competed in local Wisconsin MMA promotions for the first two years of his career. He compiled an impressive 9-0 record competing in the GFS promotion. His 9-0 run included knockout victories ver Tom Erspamer, George Barraza, and Gabe Walbridge.
Pettis's dynamic striking ability was on full display when he knocked out Mike Lambrecht by landing a prolific head kick in round one. From the beginning, it was clear that he was destined to become one of the best fighters in lightweight history.
9 He Has Two Black Belts In Martial Arts
Pettis is a third dan black belt in Taekwondo and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. His martial arts background has been on full display throughout his career and has translated into 11 wins by knockout and seven wins by submission.
His striking ability continued to improve throughout his career under the watchful eye of the head coach and trainer Duke Roufus of the Roufusport fight team.
8 He Has Won Three Titles In His Professional Career
Anthony Pettis is a three-time champion throughout his 14-year career as a professional mixed martial artist. He has captured the GFS lightweight championship, WEC lightweight championship, and UFC lightweight championship.
Between 2013 and 2014, Pettis was the top-ranked lightweight in the world after defeating Benson Henderson for the UFC lightweight championship and defending his title against Gilbert Melendez several months later.
7 He Has Five Victories By Way Of Head and Body Kick
Pettis is one of MMA's top kicking specialists. His striking background allowed him to land some of the most devastating kicks on his opponents over the years. He has defeated George Barraza, Mike Lambrecht, Joe Lauzon, Donald Cerrone, and Danny Castillo all by head or body kick knockout.
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His body kick knockout victory over Donal Cerrone earned him a title shot against WEC rival Benson Henderson several months later.
6 He Trains And Is Part Owner Of Roufusport MMA Academy
Pettis has trained under Duke Roufus at Roufusport for the entirety of his career. Under Roufus, he became one of MMA's top strikers and knockout artists. He continues to train at Roufusport and is also now a part-owner of the MMA academy.
Roufusport has produced some of the best fighters in MMA including Tyron Woodley, Sergio Pettis, Ben Askren, and Paul Felder.
5 He Almost Fought For The Interim UFC Featherweight Championship
After a successful run in the UFC lightweight division, Pettis moved down to featherweight and faced Charles Oliveira in his debut. He defeated the Brazilian by third-round submission and earned the main event slot against Max Holloway for the interim featherweight belt.
Unfortunately, Pettis missed weight and was not eligible to win the title. He was defeated by Max Holloway in the third round after a back and forth fight.
4 He Landed The Infamous Showtime Kick
After compiling a 4-1 record in the WEC lightweight division, Pettis earned a title shot against Benson Henderson. WEC 53 was the last WEC event and was headlined by Henderson and Pettis.
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Pettis and Henderson exchanged for five straight rounds and many media outlets scored the fight 2-2 going in round five. In round five, Pettis did the unthinkable by landing a head kick on Henderson after jumping off the cage. Pettis won by unanimous decision and was crowned the final WEC champion in the promotion's history.
The kick is considered one of the most famous moves in MMA history.
3 He Has Competed In Three Different Weight Classes
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Many people are aware that Pettis competed primarily as a lightweight and featherweight. However, he has also fought at welterweight twice in his career. He defeated Gabe Walbridge in GFS and Stephen Thompson in the UFC both by knockout.
2 He And His Partner Have A Daughter
© Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports\n""> © Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Pettis and his partner have been together for many years. They have a daughter named Itzacali Sol Pettis, and she was born in June 2021. Pettis also has a younger brother named Sergio Pettis who is the Bellator bantamweight champion.
1 He Is Currently Competing In Professional Fight League
© Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports\n""> © Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
After competing in the UFC for almost a decade, Pettis chose to test free agency and did not accept a new offer from the UFC. He was on a two-fight win streak at the time. Instead, he signed with the Professional Fight League at the end of December.
He made his debut in April 2021 but was defeated by Clay Collard. In his second PFL appearance, he lost a split decision to Raush Manfio. He will look to get back on track when he returns to action for his PFL
