Anthony Pettis is an American mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. Pettis was also the final WEC Lightweight Champion prior to the promotion being merged into the UFC. As of March 17, 2014, he is #7 in official UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
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» All Martial Artist Interviews**EDIT: Gotta catch a flight to New York. Thanks for hanging out with me. 'Til next time, eat your Wheaties.
My short bio: I'm Anthony Pettis, UFC Lightweight champion. I just won Wheaties Next thanks to my awesome fans, and now I'll be the first MMA fighter to ever be on the Wheaties box. Big fight coming up December 6th. Ask me anything!
My Proof: https://twitter.com/Showtimepettis/status/506892928334450688
Have you ever been left hanging so bad that it made you visibly shudder?
That's hilarious.
Would you rather fight 1 Lesnar sized Demetrious Johnson or 100 Demetrious Johnson sized Lesnars?
This is making my head spin right now.
What are the chances that you'll end up a victim of the recent nude photo leaks?
Pretty high...
When are you getting on the Joe Rogan podcast?
When he invites me.
What weight do you walk around at?
175
Do you ever worry about how repeated blows to the head could cause you problems down the road (concussions mainly)?
If so, how do you plan to combat this?
I definitely worry about my health. Concussions are an ongoing problem in most sports. But at the same time, for me, my best offense is my defense and I try to avoid any damage in practice or during the fights.
What is your plan to beat Nurmegomedov?
How do you pronounce that?
How many times do you plan on fighting in 2015? [serious question]
Three times.
What was your reaction to Dos Anjos knocking out Henderson? I don't think anyone expected that even if they thought Dos Anjos was going to win.
I was definitely surprised. I fought Ben Henderson twice. One of the toughest Lightweights and I hit him with the Showtime Kick and that didn't do it. So I was surprised when he was knocked out.
How many bowls of Wheaties did you have to eat at your photo shoot?
There's no such thing as too many bowls of Wheaties.
Hi Showtime! Glad you could spare the time to drop buy. It’s nice to see an elite striker become a champion who can “do that spinning shit” as Nate Diaz so eloquently put it. I have a few questions for you if you could be generous enough to answer:
Do you think your brother was pushed too fast so far? His first fight in the UFC wasn't "dominant" and his second fight was against a UFC vet in Alex Caceres. It seems like he could have used a few more fights in the regional scene or a slower progression in difficulty.
Who is your favorite Disney princess and why?
I don't think he was pushed too fast into the UFC. I think he needs some time to develop in the UFC. I spar with this kid every day. I know how good he is and he hasn't even shown 10% of his potential.
Anna and Elsa. My daughter makes me watch Frozen every night. And sings Let It Go.
Who's the most entertaining fighter to watch?
Anthony Pettis
Do you think excessive weight cutting is a problem in MMA? If so, what could/should be done about it?
(you're one of the best btw, congrats on the Wheaties box, can't wait to see you back in action)
No, I don't think it is. I just think some athletes are undereducated about weight cutting.
Ever since the showtime kick do you always feel the pressure to preform a crazy move like that in all your fights?
My fight style is very flashy. I grew up doing TKD and I never tried to one-up myself in any of my fights. Flashy moves just happen when I see the opportunity.
Have you ever needed to use your skills in the real world for any reason (self defense, etc.)?
Not recently, but growing up, yes.
what weird contract stipulations are part of the wheaties agreement (are you allowed to be photographed in public eating a competitor's cereal etc...)?
Probably not LOL
I play around with it all the time in sparring, but it was never a move I practiced to perfect.
Do you gave a go-to meal that you eat every time before fighting?
Salmon, sweet potato, and spinach
Who are your closest friends on the UFC roster?
Who are you looking forward to fight during your career?
Favourite fighters to watch?
Sergio Pettis, Urijah Faber, Erick Koch, Dustin Ortiz
Right now Gilbert Melendez, the only person I'm focused on
Anderson Silva
Almost all the champions (Jones, Velasquez, you, ect) are getting injured in training. Not all injuries can be prevented but what would you suggest to do to decrease the amount of injuries of current champions and delaying great cards?
This is a physical sport and the only way to properly train for a fight is to fight. So injuries will happen.
[deleted]
Advice: If you want to start doing MMA, get good insurance.
The way I stay motivated is my will to leave my legacy in the sport.
What's been the hardest thing you've encountered on the journey to where you are now?
Injuries
Who do you view as your biggest threat in the Lightweight division?
I feel very confident I have the skill set to beat anyone in might weight class. But the fight I'm looking forward to is Jose Aldo.
Did you and Gilbert get along while filming the TUF season?
It's not that we didn't get along. Nothing much was said. We both knew we'd be fighting each other and there was a mutual respect, we're both skilled and in this position for a reason.
Can you say anything about what Nate Diaz said during the airing of TUF 20? I've heard that you guys had something go on.
Nate Diaz didn't say anything during the entire time filming. 7 weeks filming and nothing was said. I'm focused on my next opponent and that's Gilbert Melendez.
What goes through your head before a fight? Do you get nervous? Do you have a pre-fight routine?
I'm always nervous and there's so many things that go through my head before a fight: preparation, letting people down, being embarrassed on PPV, and making my team proud.
How did the Wheaties box deal come to pass? Did they approach you or was it handled by White and co.?
The Wheaties deal was brought to the UFC and the UFC had to choose an athlete to represent them. And given the timeframe of my title defense, Dana picked me to be on the box.
What's your favourite finish you've seen in mma?
Anderson Silva, front kick to the face
When you are in a fight, how much pain do you actually feel? I've been curious as to how much it hurts.
Not much. You don't feel it til the day after. And it hurts even more if you lose.
Q: when you face Aldo what effect will his leg kick oriented style have on your body kicks and vice versa? Both of them are pretty unique and devastating techniques, and I was wondering how you think they'll interact.
Just wanna say I'm a fan. I used to Taekwondo when I was a kid and I've been watching MMA for a long time. Kinda dabbled in it, but school takes a lot of my time. Every time I watch you fight I feel like a fat lump lol.
I don't think my body kicks are my strength, nor do I think his low kicks are his strength. I think we're both strikers and it's going to be very entertaining for the fans.
Who is one the one person (dead or alive) you want to get in the octagon with?
Muhammad Ali, the GOAT
How much do you eat everyday?
A lot.
How is your overall health? How many times would you like to fight in 2015? Your fans miss seeing you in action!
I'm 100% and I would like to fight three times.
Hey Anthony big fan, as a Packers fan how do you think they will do this year?
I'm hoping they'll be good. Big fan of the Packers. Being from Wisconsin, you must be a Packer fan.
Do you know of any way to tell if a TKD school is legit or just black belt mill?
Not really, each instructor runs their gyms differently.
Hey Anthony, I've been doing Taekwon Do since I was 9, and now I'm doing MMA at 19, kinda similar to your path. Do you have any key advice for success?
Fall in love with training and the rest will come.
How often do you train in the gi?
How much does it help your MMA? If at all.
During the injury, I trained every day with a gi. Definitely helps out your game in MMA, it slows everything down and you have to learn to use technique as opposed to your athleticism.
How do you feel about some of the more restrictive rules - no soccer kicks, downward elbows, knnes to the head of a grounded opponent?
Do you think that it would favour you if these were changed?
I've never fought with any other rules, so I'm not too sure how that changes the game.
How big of a threat do you see Eddie Alvarez being in the UFC? Do you see you two fighting in the near future? Best of luck in your next fight!
Eddie Alvarez has been a champion before. Anybody that knows what it takes to be a champion is definitely a threat.
Hey Showtime, being a Milwaukee native and myself from Madison, what was the feeling like when you won the title in your hometown?
And how does it feel playing yourself in EA Sports UFC?
It was an amazing feeling to accomplish one of my goals in my hometown. And taking the belt back to my dad's grave.
It's cool to see myself in the game, but I suck at the video game, so I don't win very much.