Anthony Pettis (15-2) says Donald Cerrone (19-4) will shoot for the takedown to avoid a stand-up battle at UFC on Fox 6 next month. The former WEC champion must get past Cerrone to get himself in the mix for a shot at UFC LW champ Benson Henderson. "Showtime" lost an uninspiring UD to Clay Guida in his UFC debut, but most recently scored a Knockout of the Night victory over Joe Lauzon. He's the only fighter on the UFC roster who's beaten Henderson. "Cowboy" has gone 6-1 since joining the UFC, but suffered two losses to Henderson in the WEC. Pettis told MMA Junkie he knew he needed to have the best performance of his career.
From MMA Lives Here
"Cowboy is a tough guy. He's well-rounded. He wins besides Diaz. He's one of the guys I can make my name off of and get a title shot ... You only have 15 minutes to convince the judges that you're a better fighter, or knock him out or submit him. I've got to get going quick. It's one of those fights, I can't take shots to get going. Whoever makes the first mistake, it can be a short night ... I can guarantee that he's going to shoot first. He's been talking a lot of mess that my standup is this and that, he's going to expose me here. I guarantee you he shoots first."
To his credit, Cowboy doesn't seem bothered - "I don't care. I don't care what Pettis says. Imma whip his ass the same."From MMA Lives Here