The “Showtime kick” really put Anthony Pettis on the map, but it also proved to be a bit of a curse. You remember the kick – the one that went viral before things easily went viral. It was 2010, and WEC 53 took place as the final WEC show due to a merger with the UFC. In the main event, quick rising Pettis dethroned lightweight champion Benson Henderson , thanks in part to this kick he landed late in the five-round fight (via YouTube ): The flashy off-the-cage kick, which has garnered million of views over the years, gave Pettis all kinds of momentum as he arrived in the UFC, where he eventually won five straight fights and claimed the belt with another win over then-UFC champ Henderson. MMAjunkie recently caught up with Pettis to discuss the legendary kick – and why it wasn’t always a good thing in the years that followed. “The crazy thing is that I tried to be that guy too much, where I was forgetting what got me to that ‘Showtime kick,’” he said.
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Why Anthony Pettis’ ‘Showtime kick’ was a mixed blessing for ex-UFC champ – MMA Junkie