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In the face of criticism, Anthony Pettis lays the foundations of his legacy

Roar Rookie
8th December, 2014
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For the UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis (17-2 MMA, 5-1 UFC), 2014 was proving to be a frustrating year.

He finally reached the pinnacle of his sport in 2013 by claiming UFC gold, but was forced to spend the majority of this year dealing with an injury and growing cynicism and speculation that he was not a legitimate champion.

In the co-main event of UFC 181, he returned from his 15-month layoff, and laid his critics to rest. He earned the first defence of his title reign by becoming the first man to finish the highly regarded Gilbert Melendez (22-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) via a second round guillotine choke.

Following the decisive victory, Pettis addressed his doubters,

“The best way is to prove them wrong,” Pettis said. “For me, I was injured, so I couldn’t really prove myself or fight. I had to be quiet and just let them talk. Tonight, I was able to prove everybody wrong.”

‘Showtime’ showed the evolution of his stylish, fast paced and fluent striking based game, as he fought off Melendez’s relentless wrestling based attack.

He showed strong takedown defence and made the most of the open exchanges; firing rapid and technical strikes. He was too much for ‘El Nino’ who succumbed to a lighting fast guillotine choke in the second round.

“He made me feel a little old tonight, he’s quick man, he’s the next generation” said a defeated Melendez in his post-fight interview.

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In proving that he is the legitimate kingpin of the UFC’s lightweight division, Pettis has also established himself as a future megastar of the organisation.

During fight week, he went about his business with confidence and swagger, unfazed by the clear pressure that was on him following his lengthy layoff.

The 27-year-old Roufussport product looks comfortable in the spotlight, and is as a unique and profitable asset for the UFC. In his custom made Reebok shirts and gold chains, he procures a stylish confidence that is sure to make him a megastar among the next generation of martial artists.

Prior to this fight, UFC President Dana White already labelled the 155-pound champion as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.

Considering Pettis has only fought once in 2014, White’s comments are most probably motivated by his marketability. Nonetheless, if he can keep producing title defences like this, he may prove White right.

For his next title defence, the champion faces a stern test in the undefeated Dagestan-Russian powerhouse, Khabib Nurmagomedoz (22-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC). Nurmagomedov is set to return from injury in early 2015 and has begun his campaign for a title shot.

‘The Eagle’ crashed the post-fight press conference, claiming Pettis is scared to face him. In retaliation, Pettis stated that he is more than willing to grant him a shot.

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“I just said yeah, man,” Pettis responded to Nurmagomedov’s accusations. “Does he speak English? I just said yeah. Oh, OK. We’ll if you’re ready in May, I’m ready now.”

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