After a super performance by Anthony “Showtime” Pettis’ that ended in a knockout for Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson UFC president Dana White was left with his draws dropped as so to speak. This was a comeback and victory that no much people expected to see from “Showtime”.
Shocked and Impressed
Dana White was so impressed he made some interesting comments comparing Pettis to Woodley. This is what Dana White after recovering from the
“Pettis was a +385 underdog, huge underdog. I loved his gameplan from the beginning,” White said on the ESPN+ post-fight show. “I’m assuming — I don’t know this — (coach) Duke Roufus studied ‘Wonderboy’ and the way that he jumps with his karate movement, it’s hard to block leg kicks, so he started busting up the legs early, both legs, on the outside, on the inside, to try to slow him down so he could punch with him.
“Think about this,” White continued, “Anthony Pettis, who was 155 and moved up to 170, was able to do what (Tyron) Woodley couldn’t do twice. I mean, that’s pretty impressive. And I’m not ragging on Tyron, which is going to be the thing that comes out of this, but what Pettis did tonight is unbelievable against a bigger [opponent]. Look at the size difference with these two tonight.”
“The Notorious” & White’s Praise
Anthony Pettis was abuzz on social media and trending on Twitter. His victory was even met praise from former rivals such as Rafael dos Anjos. Who said via Twitter that a rematch would be in order later in the year. Pettis was honored to have MMA superstar Conor McGregor welcome him into the so-called “MMA Club”.
“Listen, I like any match-up for him after what he did tonight,” White said. “Very impressive. A very impressive gameplan. He came in, he executed. ‘Wonderboy’ was busting him up in the first round, the second round. He kept his composure, stuck to [what] I’m assuming was the game-plan — I don’t know that — but he looked damn good tonight.”
What Next For Pettis
What is next for Pettis, many have set their eyes on him but for now he seem not to be calling out anyone in particular. However, our No. 1 choice for Pettis would be Jose Aldo at 155 pounds. This was a fight that was booked back in 2013, then Aldo was the 145-pound champion. Unfortunately Pettis pulled out due to a knee injury he sustained. This is a bout that should still excite and stimulate Pettis, besides it also makes sense for Aldo, who says he’s retiring at the end of the year even though he is still performing at a high level right now.
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