Pettis: I don't see Gil making it past the first

                    <div class="Article" style="float: left;">
                        <table>
                        <tr style="vertical-align: bottom;">
                        <td>
                            <h3><a href="/go=news.detail&gid=448899" target="_blank">
                                Pettis: I don't see Gil making it past the first

                            </a></h3>
                        </td>
                        </tr>
                        </table>
                        <a href="/go=news.detail&gid=448899" ><img class="photo" src="http://img.mixedmartialarts.com/method=get&rs=74&q=75&x=2&y=121&w=310&h=165&ro=0&s=ufc-181-poster-12-01-2014-19-30-23-739.jpg" /></a>



                        <div style="clear: both; line-height: 1px;height: 1px;">&nbsp;</div>
                    </div>

                    <p>Anthony Pettis recently spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/DamonMartin" target="_blank">Damon Martin</a> for <a href="http://www.foxsports.com/ufc/story/anthony-pettis-doesn-t-see-a-way-gilbert-melendez-survives-past-the-first-round-112614?cmpid=tsmtw:fscom:ufconfox" target="_blank">FOX Sports</a> ahead of his fight with Gil Melendez at UFC 181 on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although Pettis has been out nearly 16 months, first recovering from a knee injury, and then shooting The Ultimate Fighter 20, he doesn&#39;t see Melendez making it past the first round.</p>

"I think he's very basic when it comes to standup," said Pettis. "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 outclass 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 Cerrone -- 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," Pettis said.

"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."

"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. 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 (show) 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."

                    <div style="clear: left; line-height: 1px;height: 1px;">&nbsp;</div>

I think Anthony Pettis has never seen Gil fight before. money is on showtime but Gil is impossible to put away. Phone Post 3.0

I hope Gil puts the pressure on him and grinds him into the Mat. Phone Post 3.0

Vic Vinegar - I think Anthony Pettis has never seen Gil fight before. money is on showtime but Gil is impossible to put away. Phone Post 3.0
Maybe from head trauma, but Pettis is a master at body kicks. Phone Post 3.0

I concur with pettis here Phone Post 3.0

Fight will go to a decision.

Gil is fairly good at catching kicks and getting takedowns. The question is if he can keep Pettis down. Melendez also seems to coast in the later rounds, the Bendo and Thomson fights were close because he lost the latter half of the fight

Vic Vinegar - I think Anthony Pettis has never seen Gil fight before. money is on showtime but Gil is impossible to put away. Phone Post 3.0

Lauzon, Cowboy and Ben are all tough as nails and all got put away in the first back to back to back. Gil won't be any different IMO.

Melendez has never been knocked out or submitted but he has been dropped.  Pettis is going to hurt melendez and then finish him off with either strikes or a submission.

This fight will go 5 close rounds and will be one of the fights of the year.

I would hope all fighters think this way, but train for the whole five. Phone Post

He had best hope he does get Gil out in the first round cuz Gil may out work him in the later rounds. Phone Post 3.0

Bold statement from the champ, I love it.

If Pettis finished Gil in the first, it would be a tremendous feather in his cap. Gil has nasty hands, good wrestling, and slick BJJ. Obviously Pettis has to downplay those skills.

This kind of overconfidence is misplaced against Gilbert MelendezMelendez

TwentyNineTwentyEight -


This fight will go 5 close rounds and will be one of the fights of the year.

I got Pettis. Seen Pettis and Gilbert at Dallashaws last fight and Pettis is actually pretty big. Dudes got a thick skull. Phone Post 3.0

This guy's confidence is through the roof.

And I can't help but believe him:)

Gil is tough, pettis is taking a page out of McGregors book here, Pettis may win here, but i wouldn't take Melendez lightly at all. Its been a while since Pettis has stepped in the ring, and on the tuf show he looked kind of out of shape. That could play a factor here weight cut may be a little harder, ring rust also. Melendez is a vet and im sure he will last longer than 1 round. Phone Post 3.0

If Pettis actually feels that way then he's in big trouble.

Vic Vinegar - I think Anthony Pettis has never seen Gil fight before. money is on showtime but Gil is impossible to put away. Phone Post 3.0

What dangerous strikers has Gil fought? Josh and Masvidal are clearly the best he's fought by a huge margin, but neither is much of a finisher.

I guarantee you that Pettis is more than capable of finishing Gil, and I expect him to do so.

"I guarantee you that Pettis is more than capable of finishing Gil, and I expect him to do so"

Pettis is a very talented striker but the last guy he fought with heavy hands was Jeremy Stephens and he barely squeaked out that win. Maybe he improved drastically after that fight but Cerrone and Bendo arent really known for their hands, they use a kick heavy game going up against the best kicker in the division

Not to mention, a key factor in Melendez last fights have been his opponents wrestling ability, mainly in terms of scrambling back to their feet. Maybe training with Askren, Pettis has developed this but we never got to see it versus Bendo, if he tries to play a guard game versus Melendez however, it could be a long night for him