Sports
Oak Creek MMA fighter Anthony Pettis on Spike TV Tonight
The owner of Victory Martial Arts in Oak Creek is fighting Jeremy Stephens as part of UFC 136's preliminary card. You can watch at 7 p.m. tonight on Spike TV, channels 206 or 1206 (high-def) on Time Warner cable.
Anthony "Showtime" Pettis isn't your typical business owner.
His primary vocation involves scrapping inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship's octagonal cage. His return to action takes place this weekend on national TV, and on paper it has fireworks written all over it.
Pettis doesn't have a lot to do with the day-to-day operations of Victory Martial Arts - located 9549 S. Chicago Road - but he's still very passionate about what they have to offer. Late last year, Anthony and Rey Pettis acquired the gym space previously occupied by their trainer, Duke Roufus, and turned it into a place where youth martial arts training was more of a focus.
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Meanwhile, Pettis is working on his MMA career. He'll fight tonight on Spike TV (channels 206 and 1206 on Time Warner cable) at 7 p.m.
Saturday marks Pettis' second appearance in the UFC. In his spirited debut against veteran Clay Guida back in June, Showtime's trademark striking was stifled by Guida's takedowns and top-control, resulting in a unanimous decision loss for Pettis on the judges' scorecards.
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His sophomore fight with Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens is not likely to hit the mat as often. Both men are known for their stand-up fighting styles. Pettis employs a unique and creative mode of kickboxing while his opponent is widely-regarded as a boxer with knockout power.
Pettis holds a record of 13-2, with 5 victories coming by way of knockout. Stephens' record currently sits at 20-6, with an impressive 14 wins via knockout.
Before fighting with the UFC, Pettis was the World Extreme Cagefighting Lightweight (155-pound) Champion, which he won using a highlight-reel off-the-cage kick - making him a You Tube sensation. Prior to his stint with the WEC, Showtime fought on mostly local Milwaukee and Green Bay cards.
Pettis vs. Stephens will air live on Spike TV's UFC 136 preliminary card at 7 p.m.. The UFC 136 main-card - headlined by UFC Lightweight and Featherweight title bouts - will air immediately after on pay-per-view.
When prompted for a fight prediction via Twitter, Pettis' head trainer Duke Roufus (@dukeroufus) responded with a simple, but emphatic "Victory!"
For his part, Stephens is doing some trash talking. He told MMAjunkie.com that he was going to "destroy" Pettis.