UFC
Anthony Pettis thinks he'll out class Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181, doesn't expect fight to go past the first round
Nov 26, 2014 - 3:15:46 PM Anthony Pettis thinks he'll out class Gilbert Melendez at UFC 181, doesn't expect fight to go past the first round

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The layoff for UFC Lightweight Champ Anthony Pettis hasn't allowed him to keep his skills in the eyes of fans, so he's not entirely sure people remember just what exactly he's done to get that title around his waist.

Pettis believes he's simply a better striker on every level than Gilbert Melendez into their title fight next weekend at UFC 181, and because of the brevity of his recent fights, he doesn't think he's shown just how good he can be.

"I think he's very basic when it comes to standup," Pettis said of Melendez in an interview with FoxSports.com. "He's got decent boxing and he's tough. That's most Mexican fighters, they are the most exciting fighters, they are tough and have good boxing. Unfortunately for him that's my zone. If he wants to stand in there and trade, he's not going to see me having a Diego Sanchez fight, I'll tell you that.

"I think I out class him in the striking like he's a beginner. He's still new to striking. His wrestling's not strong enough to hold me down. Once it's on the feet he's in for a long night. Or maybe a short night."

"Look at [Donald] Cerrone," Pettis continued. "Cerrone's supposed to be one of the best kickboxers in the division and I ended that fight in three minutes. A couple body kicks and that was it. I was just warming up. If you get a guy like Melendez and he's tough enough to get past the first couple of minutes, I think you're going to see the best Anthony Pettis. If he's tough enough to withstand the first couple of minutes, you're going to see how good I really am."

Despite the fact that he's not fought since August of 2013, Pettis feels he's entering this matchup with Melendez as the best version of himself that he's ever been. Because of that, he's expecting yet another quick fight for his first title defense.

"I think I'm night and day a different fighter Even against Benson, that was a short camp, I was coming off that little LCL tear, that was not the best Anthony Pettis. I want to say I was 75-percent as a fighter that night," Pettis said. "I'm focusing in on the details. I'm getting older now so I'm getting smarter and wiser, knowing positions more, my takedown defense is better, I'm just ready to go out there and everybody what I'm capable of... It's mixed martial arts so anything is possible." With that being said, I don't see it going past the first."

Penick's Analysis: To preface the rest of this analysis, Gilbert Melendez is a fantastic lightweight fighter. He dominated competition throughout his run in Strikeforce, and he gave Benson Henderson a very tough fight in his UFC debut. With that out of the way, Anthony Pettis has the potential to be the best fighter the division has seen given his past history and the striking game he's only shown glimpses of thus far. If his takedown defense has improved greatly, and he's adding more things to his arsenal in the striking game, he matches up favorably with everyone at 155 lbs. Next Saturday is a very key step in his evolution as a fighter and a Champion, and if he does what he's saying he's going to do to Melendez, that's going to be a big statement to the MMA world about where he belongs.