Exclusive: Anthony Pettis Talks UFC Future

In the sport of MMA it can be difficult as a fighter to stand out from the crowd. With thousands of fighters worldwide, it takes that special breed to stand out among the pack. For some this means talking bad about their opponents to get some TV time, but for someone like WEC lightweight Anthony Pettis, it means ending every fight in exciting fashion. I caught up with Anthony early last week to talk about his upcoming fight against Shane Roller and his future in the UFC.

KALIN: Your last fight was against Alex Karalexis where you proved to be an all around fighter when you finished him with a beautiful triangle choke. What did you think about that fight?

ANTHONY: I took the fight on short notice after Zach Micklewright had to pull out. I had to jump on that opportunity. I knew that I was better all around than Alex. The game plan was to knock him out, but I take the fight wherever it goes and finished him with that triangle.

KALIN: I remember back at WEC 47 seeing you fight on the undercard against Danny Castillo where you won with that beautiful head kick and later that night I was talking to Pat Barry about you. Pat thinks very highly of you and thinks you're a future champ in the sport. What's it like to have the support of someone like Pat?

ANTHONY: Me and Pat are like brothers in this sport man. Every fight he's in my corner. With me sparring with Pat, I know that nobody in my weight class can hurt me.

KALIN: What are your thoughts on his recent fight against CroCop?

ANTHONY: I enjoyed it man. I was kind of sad because he was dominating the first round, but then broke his hand. It kind of limited what he could do and then he broke his foot too. He lost two weapons. CroCop is an athlete and he's been in the game for a long time.

KALIN: You're fighting Shane Roller at WEC 50 who recently tapped out Anthony Njokuani. How do you prepare for someone who has a ground game at the caliber of Shane's?

ANTHONY: I don't think Shane Roller is that great on the ground. He just has a good rear naked choke. He does it to everybody. I'm confident and comfortable on the ground. I'm not threatened by his ground game. His take downs is what I have to watch out for. I can't let him hold me and get ahead on the score cards. I'm really working on my take down defense. The fight starts on the feet so he'll get to see my stand up.

KALIN: Your only loss in MMA was a split decision loss to Bart Palaszewski. Do you feel you won that fight?

ANTHONY: I know I won the fight, but I let it go to the judges scorecards. Bart did a good job. He stayed in the fight the whole time. I would of finished it if I had a couple more seconds, but he is a tough dude. He took a lot of punishment and I feel that I won that fight. The whole crowd in attendance knew that I won the fight. I fought on short notice just two months after my previous fight where I messed up my shoulder and that had a big effect on me.

KALIN: A lot of people are calling you one of the hottest lightweight prospects right now. Where do you see your career going in the next couple of years?

ANTHONY: Two to three years from now I hope to have that WEC belt around my waist. I'll want to either be defending that or moving towards that UFC belt.

KALIN: How long from now will it take until we see you in the UFC?

ANTHONY: I've only been with the WEC for a year and I'm already in title contention. If I keep this up then I see myself going to the UFC next year.

KALIN: You have that Jon Jones syndrome going on where nobody knew who you were to now just a year later everybody is talking about you. How does it feel to have that success?

ANTHONY: It's crazy man. I went to the fan expo in Vegas last year and nobody knew who I was. I went again this year and I had people asking to get a picture with me and getting my autograph. I'm honored.

KALIN: I think a fight between you and Anthony Njokuani would be a definite fight of the year candidate. How would you feel about taking that match up?

ANTHONY: That would be fun to fight Njokuani. I was supposed to fight Anthony in my WEC debut last year, but I broke my hand and wasn't able to fight him. I would love that fight. I think it's coming down the line.

KALIN: If you could have a fight with anyone from any weight class right now, who would it be with and how would the fight go?

ANTHONY: Bart Palaszewski. I would knock him out in the first round for sure.

KALIN: Now that you are fighting top competition on a more consistent basis, do you feel you need to change up anything in your training?

ANTHONY: I'm very confident in my team. I only have one loss in my career and that was a split decision. When I fight Shane Roller I'll be able to show off my skills. I've been working a lot on my skills. I can definitely get better, but you can always get better. I wouldn't change anything that I'm doing every day.

KALIN: You have a great coach and trainer in Duke Roufus. How is it working with Duke?

ANTHONY: It's great man. He's a genius. He's a fighter, but he's also a great coach. He knows so many things from experience. He is a huge help right before a fight. He knows how to build you up and bring you down.

KALIN: When people talk about the top gyms the names that you always hear are Jackson's, ATT, Black House, but now you guys are really building up a team of top fighters as well. What does the future hold for the team?

ANTHONY: We have a lot of guys right now that are ready to go to the big show. Pat Barry was the first guy that Duke signed and I was the second guy that he signed. We have a great camp and right now we are really just working on getting our name out there. In two or three years Duke will be known as one of the top trainers.

KALIN: When looking at your resume one thing that stands out is that your knockout, TKO, and submission victories are all almost equal. What is your favorite way to end a fight?

ANTHONY: With something flashy. My nickname is Showtime so obviously I want to win fights in a flashy matter and with something that the fans like. Knockouts are awesome. Just whatever keeps the fans coming out.

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