Welcome to the welterweight division, Anthony Pettis.
Making his debut in the 170-pound division, Pettis faced a daunting opponent in two-time welterweight title challenger Stephen Thompson at UFC Fight Night 148 in Nashville on Saturday. Of course, Pettis, a former lightweight champion, is no stranger to stiff competition and he rose to the occasion on Saturday night.
The two fighters approached the opening round with skill and precision, trading kicks throughout the first round. In the second round, Thompson appeared in the better position, landing a few powerful blows that cut the nose of Pettis. But in the UFC, it only takes one punch and with just 12-seconds left in the round, Pettis connected with a perfectly executed superman punch that sent Thompson straight to the canvas.
Check out the knockout highlight below.
Prior to the fight, Thompson was the fourth-ranked welterweight fighter, which puts Pettis in an interesting position for who his next opponent will be. In the post-fight interview, he mentioned a possible match-up with Rafael dos Anos, who actually defeated Pettis in 2015 to win the lightweight belt.
For Thompson, this is another crushing loss for the 36-year-old who was coming off a decision loss to Darren Till in May 2018. Thompson has always been near the top of the division but has yet to capture the coveted title.