The wheel kick by @Showtimepettis
had Morono on wobbly legs
#UFCVegas17 pic.twitter.com/MiS6tylLIy— ESPN MMA (@espnmma)
December 20, 2020
Anthony
Pettis earned his second consecutive victory at 170 pounds at
UFC Fight Night 183, but it appears that a return to
lightweight is in his future.
After a decision victory against Alex Morono
on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, the former 155-pound
champion admitted that his own habits have been holding him back in
recent years, which is why he hasn’t been cutting weight as often.
Four of Pettis’ last four Octagon appearances have taken place at
welterweight.
“Guys at 170 are big dudes. It’s a different beast than 155. The
reason I wasn’t at 155 is pure laziness,” Pettis said. “It was me
outside the Octagon getting fat and just not caring like I should
care about my career. I was doing some of the extracurricular
things like clubs, the partying scene and all the food that comes
with that. I’ve cleared that part of my life.
“I’m keeping life outside the Octagon very straight. I know I can
get down to 155 and be comfortable.”
Pettis nearly had even more incentive to return to lightweight
following a rocky opening stanza against Morono in which his back
was taken and his nose was bloodied. “Showtime” found himself in
the predicament in part because he attempted to land one of his
trademark flashy attacks in the bout’s early moments. Fortunately,
Pettis was able to remain composed and eventually reverse
position.
“I made a mistake in the first round. I went for that jump kick and
he capitalized. His pressure was coming forward, but I should have
been more patient with that. I was just anxious to get the fight
going—and I paid for that,” Pettis said. “I’ve got a pretty busted
up face right now. The first two he hit me with, I felt it
immediately. I calmed down and reset. I found my rhythm and range
out there. Once I find those, it’s my fight.
“I had to feel him out first. When I went for that jump
kick, there was no feeling-out process. It was right at the
beginning of the fight. I knew his pressure was coming forward and
I thought I’d catch him doing a check-hook. I slipped and when I
fell on my back he just capitalized. He took my back and I had to
take my time to reverse back on top.”
The Roufusport standout nearly added to his highlight reel in Round
3, when he put Morono on wobbly legs with a spinning kick that
grazed his adversary’s head. Pettis pressured for the finish, but
Morono was able to survive until the final horn.
“I thought I knocked him out, honestly. I saw his eyes roll back
and he didn’t know where he was at,” Pettis said. “Even after the
fight, he was like, ‘What did you hit me with?’ It was a spinning
hook kick, man. He’s tough. My heel still hurts from his head.
There was a lot of momentum on that kick and he ate it.
“Big ups to Alex. He’s a tough dude. I knew he was going to be a
tough fight. Whoever fights me brings their A-game. They know
fighting ‘Showtime’ is an opportunity of a lifetime. I get the best
versions of them. I feel very proud of myself. I showed a lot of
grit.”