Welcome to the Show. The poster says it all. Anthony "Showtime" Pettis has proven to be one of the more infuriating fighters in recent UFC history. On the one hand, he is dynamite MUST SEE TV. On the other, he is prone to injury and has experienced long layoffs between many of his fights. Fortunately, it is fight week and knock on wood, we're going to get a cold glass of seltzer in a hot July, and that is a TREAT my friends. On the other side of the cage Pettis will meet a confident Rafael Dos Anjos that will be unafraid to stand with Showtime. Anything bad I ever said about Dos Anjos went out the window when he became the first man to ever knock out Benson Henderson. Let us not however, forget about the ladies. I see you Ms. Esparza, go get you another ridiculously expensive sundae! Carla Esparza makes her inaugural title defense against surging champion of the Polish people, Joanna "I had to copy/paste this to spell it right" Jedrzejczyk. It looks like it shall be a throwback match-up of the grappler vs the striker. Will history's trend of favoring the former continue?
Anthony Pettis (c) vs. Rafael Dos Anjos
Even though Pettis' UFC career began with a lowlight loss to Clay Guida, he has looked nothing short of a generational talent ever since. Pettis has been able to put together his exceptional athleticism, supremely technical striking, vastly improved takedown defense, and always dangerous submission game into what became the first MMA fighter to get that Wheaties box cover. Dos Anjos has time and time again proven myself to be wrong in doubting him as he has emerged as one of the best all around fighters in the division. This seems like its will be a game of "anything you can do, I can do better" for Pettis though, and I can't see many avenues to victory for Dos Anjos. I expect him to come to fight, be willing to stand, but ultimately lose.
Pettis by KO round 2.
Pettis: unanimous
Dos Anjos:
