Former UFC Lightweight Champion Anthony Pettis competed in the main event of UFC Fight Night Nashville, defeating Stephen Thompson by second round knockout.
UFC President Dana White was in attendance and says that Pettis did what former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley couldn’t do, which was knockout Thompson.
“Pettis was a +385 underdog, huge underdog. I loved his gameplan from the beginning,” White said on the post-fight show (via MMA Fighting). “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. 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.”
Woodley fought Thompson twice under the UFC banner, fighting him to a draw at UFC 205 and picking up a decision win at UFC 209.
White is also open to matching Pettis against just about anybody after his performance in Nashville.
“Listen, I like any matchup 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 gameplan — I don’t know that — but he looked damn good tonight.”
Pettis also has more finishes than Woodley as a professional MMA fighter, as Pettis has 18 finishes compared to 12 for Woodley.
