Anthony Pettis

Anthony Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Professional Fighters League (PFL). He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion. Pettis was also the final WEC Lightweight Champion prior to the promotion being merged into the UFC.

Pettis was born on January 27, 1987, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Annette (née Garcia) and Eugene Pettis Jr. He grew up in the south side of Milwaukee, along with his older brother, Reynaldo Pettis and younger brother, Sergio Pettis, who fights in the flyweight division.

Pettis is of Mexican and Puerto Rican ancestry. His grandfather, Eugenio Pérez, anglicized the family name from Pérez to Pettis to avoid discrimination. Pettis attended Dominican High School.

He started training in taekwondo and boxing at the age of 5. When he went to train mixed martial arts at Roufusport, he already had a 3rd degree black belt in taekwondo. He later trained in capoeira.

On November 12, 2003, Pettis' father was stabbed to death by a robber at a friend's house. Pettis felt detached as a result and didn't practice martial arts for several years. After his older brother became the first male in the family to graduate high school, Pettis was encouraged by a school nun to enroll at the Kenosha Fire Academy and subsequently became a firefighter.

Pettis began training in MMA in 2006 after an open house at Roufusport MMA Academy. After compiling a 3-0 record as an amateur, he made his professional MMA debut in January 2007 and won via submission in 36 seconds. Pettis compiled a record of 8–0 in all fights being held by Adam Sandoval and Duke Roufus before debuting with the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), winning the Gladiator Fighting Series Lightweight Championship. His last fight before joining the WEC was a short notice welterweight bout.

Pettis also has a professional kickboxing background. In MMA, Pettis is known^{[by whom?]} for his smooth and technical fighting style, as well as his athletic feats and wide range of techniques.

Pettis was coached by kickboxer and MMA trainer Duke Roufus and is a member of Roufusport where he trained with fighters Alan Belcher, Erik Koch, Ben Rothwell, Ben Askren, and Danny Downes.