MMA News

Tag: Anthony Pettis

  • Former UFC Champion Recalls How Max Holloway Beat Him At His Own Game: ‘That’s What That Feels Like!’

    Former UFC Champion Recalls How Max Holloway Beat Him At His Own Game: ‘That’s What That Feels Like!’

    With how long fight fans have been watching Max Holloway compete at the highest level, it can be easy to forget that he’s still only 32-years old. “Blessed” is looking to reclaim the featherweight title later this month at UFC 308 when he faces Ilia Topuria in Abu Dhabi.

    The first time that he got his hands on UFC gold was all the way back in 2016 at UFC 206 in Toronto, Canada where he faced Anthony Pettis for the interim title. A former lightweight champion, Pettis had recently moved down to 145-pounds where he submitted Charles Oliveira in his previous fight.

    Holloway earned the tenth win of his current streak in this fight, stopping Pettis in the third round after hurting him to the body to close out another great performance from “Blessed”. He would then go on to unify the belts against José Aldo in Brazil the following year.

    In a recent appearance on the MightyCast with Demetrious Johnson, Pettis reflected on his experience fighting Holloway eight years ago. At his peak, “Showtime” was known for his devastating striking, including a body kick finish over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone from back in 2013.

    He said that after Holloway hit him with a body kick of his own, he finally understood what he had been putting opponents through all those years.

    “He’s a beast bro like fighting that dude, like you have to be on your A-game. First time I ever got finished in a fight was Max Holloway. TKO. He hit me with a body kick, first time I was like, ‘That’s what that feels like…’ He hit me and I was like, ‘Oh s***!,’ and then he teed off on me and he got the title and like big up to him man, great fighter.”

  • Anthony Pettis Breaks Down How He Became The First Man To Knock Out Stephen Thompson: ‘Karate vs Taekwondo’

    Anthony Pettis Breaks Down How He Became The First Man To Knock Out Stephen Thompson: ‘Karate vs Taekwondo’

    Anthony Pettis achieved a lot in his career and despite becoming a UFC champion, for many fans, what made him immortal was the iconic showtime kick that he produced in the WEC against Benson Henderson.

    Many years down the line in his career, towards the end of his UFC tenure, “Showtime” would produce another instant classic moment for his highlight reel that is sure to be shown in UFC compilations for many years to come.

    In 2019, he went up to welterweight to face off with Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson in a fun match-up that looked to be a difficult fight for him to win. Thompson had a lot of success in the fight until, in the second round, he was knocked out for the first time in his MMA career.

    Pettis stopped the elite kickboxer in stunning fashion, landing a superman punch right as the second round came to an end to flip the script on it’s head. In a recent interview with Demetrious Johnson on the MightyCast, he reflected on this fight.

    Pettis said it was his call to fight Thompson and his confidence in the match-up came from the coaches that he has worked with throughout his career. His head coach, Duke Roufus and his brother Rick are both pioneering strikers who would be able to pass their own experiences competing at the highest level on to their fighter.

    “Showtime” revealed how this clash of traditional striking styles and the knowledge he gained from his coaches led to him stopping “Wonderboy” in emphatic fashion.

    “I’m like, I think I could beat him, karate vs taekwondo, I knew his range, I knew how to beat him because of Duke. That was one of those camps where I gave it all to Duke, like he knew how to beat him because of what happened to Rick Rufus. It was like the story was writing again, the karate guy, he’s like, ‘We have to, every time he kicks, low kick the same leg.’ I’m like, ‘For real? It’s that easy?’ It was that easy bro. Obviously I got punched in the face and s*** but once I started eating him up, when his stance goes from wide base to smaller cuz you’re beating those legs up, that’s when you can punch him but when he’s wide, he’s so far.”

  • Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Results & Highlights: Diaz Wins Slugfest

    Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Results & Highlights: Diaz Wins Slugfest

    Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal finally settled their differences in the boxing ring on July 6. MMA News has the results and highlights here!

    The long-awaited rematch between Diaz and Masvidal occurred on July 6 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Both fighters have waited nearly five years to fight each other again after their first encounter at UFC 244 in 2019. However, instead of competing in MMA, they ran it back in the boxing ring.

    In the fight, Diaz overwhelmed Masvidal with punches for ten rounds. The former BMF Champion did his best to keep his opponent off him with power punches but couldn’t stop the pressure from the California native. Ultimately, the fight went the distance, with Diaz winning by majority decision.  

    Elsewhere on the card, Anthony Pettis faced Chris Avila in a light heavyweight contest. Pettis was coming off a debut win over boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. by a majority decision last year. However, the former UFC champion couldn’t replicate his success, as Avila controlled the fight to earn a comfortable unanimous decision win.

    Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Fight Card Results

    Main Card:

    • Light Heavyweight: Nate Diaz def. Jorge Masvidal via Majority Decision (95-95, 97-93, 98-92)
    • Super Middleweight: Shane Mosley Jr. def. Daniel Jacobs via Unanimous Decision (99-91×2, 100-90)
    • Light Heavyweight: Chris Avila def. Anthony Pettis via Unanimous Decision (58-56, 59-55×2)
    • Lightweight: Curmel Moton def. Nikolai Buzolin via TKO R2, 1:39
    • Lightweight: Amado Vargas def. Sean Garcia via TKO: R6, 0:46
    • Lightweight: Devin Cushing def. Manuel Correa via Unanimous Decision (77-75, 78-74, 80-72)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Welterweight: Luis Lopez def. Alan Sanchez via Unanimous Decision (77-75×3)
    • Heavyweight: Gabriel Aguilar Costa def. Steve Dunn via KO: R2, 2:50

    Main Card Highlights

    Nate Diaz def. Jorge Masvidal

    Curmel Moton def. Nikolai Buzolin

    Amado Vargas def. Sean Garcia

    Preliminary Highlights

    Gabriel Aguilar Costa def. Steve Dunn

  • Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Weigh-In Results: Three Fighters Miss Weight

    Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Weigh-In Results: Three Fighters Miss Weight

    Former UFC stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal weighed in today ahead of their rematch in the boxing ring this Saturday. MMA News has the results here!

    The rivalry between Diaz and Masvidal has returned to the surface this year. In 2019, they faced each other in the main event of UFC 244 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. UFC fans expected the matchup to be an action-packed fight, as both had an impressive win before the event. Unfortunately, it ended in anticlimactic fashion, with Masvidal winning by doctor’s stoppage.

    Both fighters will seek a more decisive victory in the boxing ring tomorrow. Ahead of the event, all fighters weighed in today to make it official.

    All fighters weighed in at the proper weight limit except for Daniel Jacobs, Nikolai Buzolin, and Sean Garcia. Their fights are expected to go on as planned.

    Fans of Diaz are hoping he is coming into his rematch against “Gamebred” more motivated than he has in past fights. In his most recent outing last August, he made his professional boxing debut against Jake Paul. Diaz showed spurts of competitiveness but was outmatched and knocked down in the contest, which Paul won by unanimous decision.

    This Saturday marks a big night for the California native as he tries to prove that he still has more left in his combat sports career.

    For Masvidal, he is no stranger to competing in a boxing ring. He has one win on his pro boxing record after defeating Joseph Benjamin by majority decision in 2005. Although he has fared better in the sport than Diaz, the former BMF champion’s win from 19 years ago was a four-round fight. Saturday’s matchup will be a 10-round affair, which some fans believe could benefit Diaz more than the Miami native.

    That said, Masvidal has shared in the lead-up to his showdown with his rival that he plans to get a knockout to settle their issues for good.

    Masvidal vs. Diaz will occur at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. The main card will start at 9 PM ET/6 PM PT on Fanmio for $49.99. Fans looking to watch the card on DAZN must be subscribed and buy the pay-per-view.

    Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal Weigh-In Results

    Main Card:

    • Light Heavyweight: Nate Diaz (175.6lbs) vs. Jorge Masvidal (175.2lbs)
    • Super Middleweight: Daniel Jacobs (169.2lbs)* vs. Shane Mosley Jr. (167.6lbs)
    • Light Heavyweight: Anthony Pettis (175.3lbs) vs. Chris Avila (175.6lbs)
    • Lightweight: Curmel Moton (133.5lbs) vs. Nikolai Buzolin (137.7lbs)*
    • Lightweight: Amado Vargas (134.1lbs) vs. Sean Garcia (138.1lbs)*
    • Lightweight: Devin Cushing (131.9lbs) vs. Manuel Correa (131.2lbs)

    * Sean Garcia missed the lightweight limit by 3.1 pounds.

    * Nikolai Buzolin missed the lightweight limit by 2.7 pounds

    * Daniel Jacobs missed the super middleweight limit by 1.2 pounds.

  • Anthony Pettis & Jeremy Stephens Feature As PFL 1 Pairings Announced

    The Professional Fighters League is set to return with a bang on April 20 as the light heavyweights and lightweights take center stage for PFL 1.

    After a successful 2021 season, which came after the postponement of the previous lineup due to COVID-19, the PFL is looking to go even better with its fourth season in the sport.

    To do so, the rising promotion has bolstered its ranks with a number of new faces, some of which will be on display right from the off when the 155 and 205lbers look to open the season with a bang next month.

    The card, which was confirmed by the promotion on Tuesday, includes a host of widely-recognized names and intriguing clashes.

    On the ESPN+ card, slated for 5:30PM ET, long-time UFC veteran Stevie Ray (22-9) will enter the cage for the first time since 2019. The Scotsman, who has faced the likes of Michael Johnson, Paul Felder, and Joe Lauzon during his 32-fight career, has come out of retirement for the 2022 PFL lightweight season. He’ll face Alexander Martinez (8-2), who went 1-2 in last year’s competition.

    Elsewhere, former UFC middleweight Omari Akhmedov (21-7) hopes to make up for his unsuccessful PFL debut at last year’s finale when he opens his first full 205-pound season against former GCF heavyweight champion Viktor Pešta (18-6). Olivier Aubin-Mercier (13-5), meanwhile, will hope to keep his perfect PFL record intact as his season gets underway against a yet-to-be-announced 155-pound opponent.

    At 9:00 PM ET, four quality bouts are set to grace ESPN and ESPN+. Clay Collard (20-9-1), who recorded a victory over Anthony Pettis last year before falling in the lightweight semifinals, will welcome renowned MMA veteran Jeremy Stephens (28-19-1) to the PFL cage. “Lil Heathen” has made the move over from the UFC, where he shared the Octagon with names like Josh Emmett, Renan Barão, Max Holloway, Yair Rodriguez, José Aldo, Frankie Edgar, and Charles Oliveira.

    2021 PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Antonio Carlos Jr. (13-5-2) also has his pairing set. He’ll hope to follow in the footsteps of Kayla Harrison and record back-to-back titles. His journey to doing so begins against his compatriot Delan Monte (8-1). Another 2021 champion in action will be lightweight king Raush Manfio. To start his defense of last year’s championship on the right foot, “Cavalo de Guerra” has to dispatch South Africa’s Don Madge (10-3-1), who is riding a seven-fight win streak into this year’s season.

    Finally, hoping to make up for a lackluster 0-2 arrival in PFL last year, former UFC lightweight champion Pettis (24-12) has been dealt the hand of Ireland’s Myles Price (11-7), who enters his first PFL season having not competed since a 2019 victory over Peter Queally under the Bellator banner.

    The announced PFL 1 card is currently as follows:

    5:30PM ET/ESPN +

    Alexander Martinez vs. Stevie Ray (lightweight)

    Robert Wilkinson vs. Bruce Souto (light heavyweight)

    Omari Akhmedov vs. Viktor Pešta (light heavyweight)

    Marthin Hamlet vs. Teodoras Aukstuolis (light heavyweight)

    Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. TBA (lightweight)

    Emiliano Sordi vs. Josh Silveira (light heavyweight)

    9PM ET/ESPN & ESPN+

    Clay Collard vs. Jeremy Stephens (lightweight)

    Antonio Carlos Jr. vs. Delan Monte (light heavyweight)

    Anthony Pettis vs. Myles Price (lightweight)

    Raush Manfio vs. Don Madge (lightweight)

    Which fight are you most looking forward to seeing go down at PFL 1 on April 20?

  • Anthony Pettis Opens Up On Struggles In His First PFL Season

    Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis didn’t have the ideal start to the new chapter of his MMA career in the PFL in 2021.

    Pettis signed with the PFL last year after a long tenure in the UFC, which included a reign as the lightweight king. He would go on to lose the belt at UFC 185 before up-and-down runs at featherweight and welterweight.

    Pettis was seen as arguably the biggest acquisition by the league in recent years. Many believed he would be the favorite to earn the league’s lightweight championship in his first season, but it wasn’t to be.

    Pettis went winless in his rookie season with the PFL, falling to Clay Collard in the season opener before a controversial split decision loss to Raush Manfio at PFL 6. He would fail to qualify for the postseason after being regarded as the title favorite in some circles.

    As Pettis gets ready for a potential bounceback in 2022 in the PFL, he’s still reflecting on what went wrong last year. During a recent interview with MMA Island, Pettis opened up on his first season with the league.

    “I didn’t know what to expect last year in the PFL, honestly,” Pettis said. “You know I was coming over from a format of the UFC, of we would fight, take our time off, heal our injuries and then call somebody out, get the next fight, have a camp, sometimes have a quick short-notice fight that would be like the worst-case scenario. But like the PFL format and the season is probably one of the hardest formats of fighting there is. You know, fighting every eight weeks is the fight.”

    Anthony Pettis Reflects On Losses & Pressure Of First PFL Year

    PFL 6 results: Anthony Pettis loses again, Kayla Harrison extends unbeaten record to 10-0 - Bloody Elbow
    Anthony Pettis, Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

    Pettis’ loss to Collard was a shocking upset in many eyes. He was knocked down multiple times in the fight and seemed to struggle to get anything going with his striking. Pettis said his first fight set him back in the lightweight division.

    “Like the first fight I went out there and fought Clay Collard; I had a horrible performance from the way the cage felt it was like I never fought on canvas, for I mean—I haven’t fought on vinyl in a long time where I was used to fight on canvas,” Pettis admitted. “Every kick I threw, I was slipping. I was falling down, so it was like a lot of adjustments after that first fight where I was like, all right I only have eight weeks to change this fighting style to make it work for this style for fighting in this cage and this floor, so I worked on my boxing for the second half of the season.

    “I had a great close fight with the champ Raush Manfio. I thought I won that fight, but obviously, he got it. He got his million bucks. I’m not a hater. Congrats to him, but for me, it’s like I know how good I am and where I’m at and I’ve seen he’s the champion and seen how our fights went, I’m right there. I just got to make small adjustments, and I think the experience from last season is going to definitely help me out with this season.” 

    Pettis went on to admit that he felt the pressure of being a big-name fighter entering a new promotion.

    “There was a lot of pressure too,” Pettis said. “It’s weird because like you know even being a vet where I’m at in the fights that I fought in there was a lot of pressure going to a new organization and they were like expecting, well I felt like they’re expecting that show to come out and I put a lot of pressure on myself to fight that way. This time around I’m like yo that one out of the system, let’s have this season to win and not to perform if you will.”

    Pettis will be joined by Manfio, Collard, and former UFC fighter Jeremy Stephens during the 2022 lightweight season. He defeated Jeremy Stephens via split decision at UFC 136 as he made his run to the belt.

    Pettis is looking to remind fight fans of how dominant he can be in the cage when he’s at his best. While some may be writing off Pettis already, he’s looking to silence the doubters in the upcoming season.

    What are your predictions for Anthony Pettis in 2022?

  • Anthony Pettis Confirms Another Season With PFL

    Anthony Pettis is getting ready to return to action for the 2022 season.

    With the new year upon us, the next season of PFL is right around the corner. The 2021 season was a great success for PFL. During the offseason, they added a number of well-known fighters to the roster, one of which was former UFC champion, Anthony Pettis.

    Pettis has now confirmed that he will be back again and joining PFL for the 2022 season. He spread the news on his personal Twitter page.

    Pettis is most well known for his tenure with the UFC. He was with the organization from 2011, and in his ten years there won the lightweight title. He successfully defended it once before losing it to Rafael dos Anjos. He decided to walk away from the UFC in 2021 following two consecutive wins. He then announced his move to PFL as one of the biggest signings.

    Pettis’s first season with PFL was filled with great expectations that he did not quite live up to. He lost both of his PFL bouts last season and did not make it to the playoffs. Pettis along with the rest of the lightweight division will be looking to battle it out for the big $1 million prize that awaits the winner of each division.

    Some believe that his career could be coming to an end, but he is not ready to walk away yet. In addition to his skills inside the cage, Pettis is also beginning a career outside the cage. Pettis has recently opened his own MMA fight promotion called Showtime FC. As he approaches this next season, Pettis has already achieved so much in the sport and is still gaining more success.

    How do you think Anthony Pettis will fair in the next season of PFL?

  • Anthony Pettis Becomes Latest Fighter-Promoter With Showtime FC

    Former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis will debut his fight promotion, Showtime Fighting Championship, in the new year.

    Pettis will become the latest current/former MMA star to begin his promotion, which will debut in 2022. The fights will air exclusively on UFC Fight Pass.

    Despite back-to-back wins in the UFC Octagon last year, Pettis opted to sign with the PFL for the 2021 league season. Things didn’t go according to plan, as he lost back-to-back fights to Clay Collard and Raush Manfio, eliminating him from the league playoffs.

    But the 34-year-old Pettis is already starting to think about life after fighting, and that begins with his new promotion. During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Pettis introduced his plans for Showtime FC.

    “I built a name on Showtime–the flashy moves, the kicks off the cage, the big knockouts,” Pettis said. “The fans know that when I fight, there is a show going on, and that’s what I’m going to do with my cards. And our deal with Fight Pass is huge for us. Now you can follow someone’s entire career and watch them develop into a champion.”

    Pettis went on to announce that Showtime FC will debut on Feb. 11 in Lakeland, FL. Matchups for the card are in the works.

    “I have one more fight to finalize on the card, and all those matchups will be announced soon. This is going to be all about the next generation of fighters. We have a great team in place, and I need that, especially since I’m still fighting. But the timing is now, and everything is working out just right.”

    Pettis will become the latest MMA fighter to begin life as a promoter after UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal and former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov recently debuted their events. Nurmagomedov’s promotion, Eagle FC, recently signed former UFC standouts Kevin Lee and Rashad Evans to its roster.

    It’s unclear what kind of talent level Pettis will be able to bring to Showtime FC, but he appears intent on making it an entertaining promotion to watch for years to come.

    Are you excited about Anthony Pettis’ new fight promotion?