Anthony Pettis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Anthony Pettis |
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Anthony Pettis in 2016
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| Born | Anthony Paul Pettis January 27, 1987 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US |
| Nickname(s) | Showtime |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) |
| Weight | 155 lb (70 kg) |
| Division | Welterweight (170 lbs) (2008, 2019–2020) Lightweight (155 lbs) (2007–2016, 2017–2018, 2020, 2021–present) Featherweight (145 lbs) (2016) Cruiserweight (2023) |
| Reach | 72+1⁄2 in (184 cm) |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Fighting out of | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Team | Roufusport |
| Trainer | Duke Roufus |
| Rank | 3rd dan black belt in Taekwondo Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Daniel Wanderley |
| Years active | 2007–present |
| Professional boxing record | |
| Total | 2 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Losses | 1 |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 39 |
| Wins | 25 |
| By knockout | 11 |
| By submission | 8 |
| By decision | 6 |
| Losses | 14 |
| By knockout | 2 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 9 |
| Amateur record | |
| Total | 3 |
| Wins | 3 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Other information | |
| Notable relatives | Sergio Pettis (brother) |
Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist and professional boxer. He is known for his exciting fighting style. Pettis used to compete in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions. He was once the UFC Lightweight Champion. He was also the last WEC Lightweight Champion before that league joined the UFC.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Anthony Pettis was born on January 27, 1987, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He grew up in Milwaukee with his older brother, Reynaldo, and his younger brother, Sergio Pettis, who is also a fighter. His family has Mexican roots. His grandfather changed their last name from Pérez to Pettis to avoid unfair treatment. Anthony went to Dominican High School.
He started training in taekwondo and boxing when he was only 5 years old. In college, he also began wrestling. By the time he started training in mixed martial arts (MMA) at Roufusport at age 18, he already had a high-level black belt in taekwondo. He later learned capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines fighting with dance.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
Anthony Pettis began his professional MMA career in January 2007. He won his first 8 fights before joining the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) league. He even won the Gladiator Fighting Series Lightweight Championship. Pettis is known for his smooth, technical fighting style and amazing athletic moves. His coach is Duke Roufus, a famous kickboxer and MMA trainer. Pettis trains at Roufusport with other top fighters.
WEC Fights (2009-2010)
Pettis joined the WEC in 2009. He won his first WEC fight by using a submission move called a triangle choke. After one loss, he bounced back with a spectacular head-kick knockout win over Danny Castillo in March 2010. This win earned him a "Knockout of the Night" award.
He continued to impress, winning another fight with a submission. In August 2010, he faced Shane Roller. Pettis showed off his unique style, using Capoeira kicks. He won this fight with a triangle choke, earning "Submission of the Night."
His most famous WEC fight was against Benson Henderson in December 2010 for the WEC Lightweight Championship. In the final round, Pettis performed an incredible move. He ran up the cage, jumped off it, and landed a flying kick on Henderson. This move became known as the "Showtime Kick." Pettis won the fight and became the last WEC Lightweight Champion before the WEC joined the UFC.
Joining the UFC (2010-2012)
In October 2010, the WEC merged with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Many WEC fighters, including Pettis, moved to the UFC.
Pettis faced Clay Guida in June 2011 and lost by decision. However, he quickly recovered, winning his next fight against Jeremy Stephens in October 2011. In February 2012, Pettis delivered another amazing performance, knocking out Joe Lauzon with a head kick in the first round. This earned him another "Knockout of the Night" award.
Becoming UFC Champion (2013-2015)
After recovering from injuries, Pettis returned in January 2013 to fight Donald Cerrone. He won with a TKO (Technical Knockout) in the first round, earning another "Knockout of the Night."
Later that year, Pettis got a chance to fight for the UFC Lightweight Championship against Benson Henderson at UFC 164. This was a rematch of their famous WEC fight. Pettis won the fight by using an armbar submission in the first round, becoming the new UFC Lightweight Champion! This win also earned him a "Submission of the Night" bonus.
In 2014, Pettis was a coach on the TV show The Ultimate Fighter 20. He then defended his title against the other coach, Gilbert Melendez, at UFC 181. Pettis won by guillotine choke in the second round, showing he was still a top fighter.
However, in March 2015, Pettis lost his championship to Rafael dos Anjos by decision.
Moving Weight Classes (2016-2017)
After losing two more fights at lightweight, Pettis decided to try fighting in a lighter division, featherweight, in June 2016. In his featherweight debut, he defeated Charles Oliveira with a guillotine choke.
Pettis then fought Max Holloway for an interim UFC Featherweight Championship. However, Pettis weighed in over the limit for the championship fight, which meant he couldn't win the title even if he won the fight. He lost the fight to Holloway in the third round.
In 2017, Pettis moved back to the lightweight division. He won against Jim Miller by decision. Later that year, he faced Dustin Poirier in a tough fight that earned "Fight of the Night" honors, but Pettis lost due to a rib injury.
Later UFC Fights (2018-2020)
In 2018, Pettis was supposed to fight Michael Chiesa, but the fight was canceled because Chiesa was injured in an incident involving a bus. They rescheduled the fight, and Pettis won by triangle armbar submission, earning a "Performance of the Night" award.
Pettis then had an exciting fight against Tony Ferguson in October 2018. It was a back-and-forth battle, but Pettis had to stop fighting due to a broken hand. This fight was named "Fight of the Night."
In 2019, Pettis moved up to the welterweight division. He faced Stephen Thompson and won by knockout in the second round, becoming the first person to knock out Thompson in his career. This earned him another "Performance of the Night" award. He later lost to Nate Diaz by decision.
In 2020, Pettis had a few more fights in the UFC. He lost to Carlos Diego Ferreira but then won a rematch against Donald Cerrone by decision. He also defeated Alex Morono by decision. After this fight, Pettis decided to leave the UFC and explore other options.
Professional Fighters League (PFL) (2021-2022)
In December 2020, Pettis signed a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He competed as a lightweight in their 2021 season. He lost his first two fights in the PFL.
In the 2022 season, Pettis got a win by submitting Myles Price with a triangle choke. However, he then lost two fights to Stevie Ray, including in the semifinals of the Lightweight tournament.
Global Fight League
In December 2024, it was announced that Pettis joined the Global Fight League.
Boxing Career
Anthony Pettis also tried his hand at professional boxing. In April 2023, he made his boxing debut against the famous former boxing champion, Roy Jones Jr.. Pettis won the fight by decision. He later had another boxing match in July 2024, where he lost by decision.
In Business and Media
Anthony Pettis is not just a fighter. He owns the Roufusport MMA Academy and the Showtime Sports Bar in Milwaukee with his business partners.
He has appeared in commercials for sports brands like Form Athletics and Reebok. In 2014, he was chosen to be the first UFC champion to appear on the cover of a General Mills' Wheaties cereal box, wearing his championship belt.
Pettis also appeared on an episode of the TV show World of Jenks, which showed a week of his life and training before a fight. In 2013, he received an award from the Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker.
Personal Life
Anthony Pettis has two daughters.
Championships and Accomplishments
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
- Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson
- Knockout of the Night (Two times) vs. Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone
- Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Benson Henderson
- Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Gilbert Melendez, Michael Chiesa, and Stephen Thompson
- UFC Honors Awards
- 2019: Fan's Choice Comeback of the Year Nominee vs. Stephen Thompson
- UFC.com Awards
- 2012: Ranked #3 Knockout of the Year vs. Joe Lauzon
- 2013: Submission of the Year vs. Benson Henderson & Ranked #6 Fighter of the Year
- 2014: Ranked #2 Submission of the Year vs. Gilbert Melendez
- 2017: Ranked #4 Fight of the Year vs. Dustin Poirier
- 2018: Ranked #5 Fight of the Year vs. Tony Ferguson
- 2019: Ranked #7 Knockout of the Year vs. Stephen Thompson & Ranked #9 Upset of the Year vs. Stephen Thompson
- UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
- World Extreme Cagefighting
- WEC Lightweight Championship (One time; last)
- Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Danny Castillo
- Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Shane Roller
- Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Benson Henderson
- Gladiators Fighting Series
- GFS Lightweight Championship (One time)
- One successful title defense
- GFS Lightweight Championship (One time)
- FIGHT! Magazine
- 2010 Newcomer of the Year
- Inside MMA
- 2013 Male Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award
- MMAFighting.com
- 2010 Fight of the Year vs. Benson Henderson on December 16
- Sherdog
- 2010 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
- USA Today
- 2010 Fight of the Year vs. Benson Henderson on December 16
- MMAJunkie.com
- 2019 March Knockout of the Month vs. Stephen Thompson
- World MMA Awards
- 2018 Fight of the Year vs. Tony Ferguson at UFC 229
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 39 matches | 25 wins | 14 losses |
| By knockout | 11 | 2 |
| By submission | 8 | 3 |
| By decision | 6 | 9 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 25–14 | Stevie Ray | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 7 (2022) | August 5, 2022 | 3 | 5:00 | New York City, New York, United States | 2022 PFL Lightweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Loss | 25–13 | Stevie Ray | Submission (twister) | PFL 5 (2022) | June 24, 2022 | 2 | 3:57 | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | |
| Win | 25–12 | Myles Price | Submission (triangle choke) | PFL 3 (2022) | May 6, 2022 | 1 | 4:17 | Arlington, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 24–12 | Raush Manfio | Decision (split) | PFL 6 (2021) | June 25, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | |
| Loss | 24–11 | Clay Collard | Decision (unanimous) | PFL 1 (2021) | April 23, 2021 | 3 | 5:00 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Win | 24–10 | Alex Morono | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal | December 19, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 23–10 | Donald Cerrone | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 249 | May 9, 2020 | 3 | 5:00 | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | |
| Loss | 22–10 | Carlos Diego Ferreira | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 246 | January 18, 2020 | 2 | 1:46 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Lightweight bout. |
| Loss | 22–9 | Nate Diaz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 241 | August 17, 2019 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, California, United States | |
| Win | 22–8 | Stephen Thompson | KO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Pettis | March 23, 2019 | 2 | 4:55 | Nashville, Tennessee, United States | Return to Welterweight. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 21–8 | Tony Ferguson | TKO (corner stoppage) | UFC 229 | October 6, 2018 | 2 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 21–7 | Michael Chiesa | Submission (triangle armbar) | UFC 226 | July 7, 2018 | 2 | 0:52 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Catchweight (157.5 lb) bout; Chiesa missed weight. Performance of the Night. |
| Loss | 20–7 | Dustin Poirier | Submission (body triangle) | UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis | November 11, 2017 | 3 | 2:08 | Norfolk, Virginia, United States | Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 20–6 | Jim Miller | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 213 | July 8, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Loss | 19–6 | Max Holloway | TKO (body kick and punches) | UFC 206 | December 10, 2016 | 3 | 4:50 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | For the interim UFC Featherweight Championship; Pettis missed weight (148 lb) and was ineligible to win the title. |
| Win | 19–5 | Charles Oliveira | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit | August 27, 2016 | 3 | 1:49 | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | Featherweight debut. |
| Loss | 18–5 | Edson Barboza | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 197 | April 23, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Loss | 18–4 | Eddie Alvarez | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Dillashaw vs. Cruz | January 17, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Boston, Massachusetts, United States | |
| Loss | 18–3 | Rafael dos Anjos | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 185 | March 14, 2015 | 5 | 5:00 | Dallas, Texas, United States | Lost the UFC Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 18–2 | Gilbert Melendez | Submission (guillotine choke) | UFC 181 | December 6, 2014 | 2 | 1:53 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Defended the UFC Lightweight Championship. Performance of the Night. |
| Win | 17–2 | Benson Henderson | Submission (armbar) | UFC 164 | August 31, 2013 | 1 | 4:31 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Won the UFC Lightweight Championship. Submission of the Night. Submission of the Year. |
| Win | 16–2 | Donald Cerrone | KO (kick to the body) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Dodson | January 26, 2013 | 1 | 2:35 | Chicago, Illinois, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 15–2 | Joe Lauzon | KO (head kick and punches) | UFC 144 | February 26, 2012 | 1 | 1:21 | Saitama, Japan | Knockout of the Night. |
| Win | 14–2 | Jeremy Stephens | Decision (split) | UFC 136 | October 8, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Houston, Texas, United States | |
| Loss | 13–2 | Clay Guida | Decision (unanimous) | The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos Finale | June 4, 2011 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 13–1 | Benson Henderson | Decision (unanimous) | WEC 53 | December 16, 2010 | 5 | 5:00 | Glendale, Arizona, United States | Won the WEC Lightweight Championship. Fight of the Night. |
| Win | 12–1 | Shane Roller | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 50 | August 18, 2010 | 3 | 4:51 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | Submission of the Night. |
| Win | 11–1 | Alex Karalexis | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 48 | April 24, 2010 | 2 | 1:35 | Sacramento, California, United States | |
| Win | 10–1 | Danny Castillo | KO (head kick and punches) | WEC 47 | March 6, 2010 | 1 | 2:27 | Columbus, Ohio, United States | Knockout of the Night. |
| Loss | 9–1 | Bart Palaszewski | Decision (split) | WEC 45 | December 19, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | |
| Win | 9–0 | Mike Campbell | Submission (triangle choke) | WEC 41 | June 7, 2009 | 1 | 1:49 | Sacramento, California, United States | Return to Lightweight. |
| Win | 8–0 | Gabe Walbridge | TKO (punches) | GFS: Season's Beatings | December 13, 2008 | 1 | 0:56 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Welterweight debut. |
| Win | 7–0 | Jay Ellis | TKO (submission to punches) | GFS 55 | October 4, 2008 | 1 | 1:12 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Defended the GFS Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 6–0 | Sherron Leggett | Decision (split) | GFS: Fight Club | June 21, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | Won the GFS Lightweight Championship. |
| Win | 5–0 | Mike Lambrecht | KO (kick) | GFS: Knockout Kings | March 29, 2008 | 1 | 1:49 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 4–0 | George Barrazza | TKO (punches) | GFS: The Warriors | February 16, 2008 | 1 | 2:31 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 3–0 | Michael Skinner | TKO (submission to punches) | GFS: Seasons Beatings | December 1, 2007 | 1 | 0:36 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 2–0 | Lonny Amdahl | TKO (injury) | GFS: Rumble in the Cage | August 17, 2007 | 1 | 0:12 | Green Bay, Wisconsin, United States | |
| Win | 1–0 | Tom Erspamer | TKO (punches) | GFS: Super Brawl | January 27, 2007 | 1 | 0:24 | Wisconsin, United States |
Professional boxing record
| 2 fights | 1 win | 1 loss |
| By decision | 1 | 1 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Loss | 1–1 | Chris Avila | UD | 6 | July 6, 2024 | Honda Center, Anaheim, California, U.S. | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Roy Jones Jr. | MD | 8 | Apr 1, 2023 | Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
Karate Combat record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By decision | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Benson Henderson | Decision (unanimous) | Karate Combat 43 | December 15, 2023 | 3 | 3:00 |
Pay-per-view bouts
| No. | Event | Fight | Date | Venue | City | PPV Buys |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | UFC 164 | Henderson vs. Pettis 2 | August 31, 2013 | BMO Harris Bradley Center | Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States | 270,000 |
| 2. | UFC 185 | Pettis vs. dos Anjos | March 14, 2015 | American Airlines Center | Dallas, Texas, United States | 310,000 |
| 3. | UFC 206 | Holloway vs. Pettis | December 10, 2016 | Air Canada Centre | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | 150,000 |
See Also
In Spanish: Anthony Pettis para niños
- List of male mixed martial artists
