Final WEC Lightweight Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will have a chance to bounce back from the second loss of his career when he faces hard-hitting striker Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens at UFC 136 on October 8th in Houston, Texas. The 155-pound matchup was announced today.
Pettis suffered a setback in his UFC debut early last month, as he dropped a decision to Clay “The Carpenter” Guida in the main event of the TUF 13 Finale. Prior to that, he had racked up four straight wins. Stephens has won four of his last five bouts, with the lone defeat coming via Split Decision.
Pettis (13-2-0) entered the WEC in 2009 and went on to win four of his first five fights in the promotion. The streak earned him a shot at then-champion Ben “Smooth” Henderson in the main event of the final WEC card, WEC 53, on December 16th. It was there that Pettis became an overnight superstar. As the back-and-forth fight with Henderson entered the fifth round, Pettis launched himself off of the cage and floored Henderson with a devastating head kick that secured him the round and the fight. With the win, he became WEC Lightweight Champion.
Stephens (20-8-0) has fought 12 times inside the Octagon and sports a 7-5 UFC record to date. The heavy-handed striker holds 14 knockout wins and is one of the hardest hitters at 155 pounds. He has struggled at times against opponents who have been able to take him down, however, and Pettis has demonstrated a well-rounded game, so the veteran Stephens may look to keep the fight on the feet. Stephens most recently defeated Danny Downes on the same June card where Pettis was decisioned by Guida, and knocked out Marcus Davis prior to that.
UFC 136 is targeted for October 8th at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The event is expected to be headlined by a UFC Lightweight Championship trilogy bout between Frankie “The Answer” Edgar and Gray “The Bully” Maynard.
UFC 136 Fight Card (to date; subject to change):
– Frankie “The Answer” Edgar vs Gray “The Bully” Maynard [UFC Lightweight Championship]
– José “Scarface” Aldo vs Kenny “KenFlo” Florian [UFC Featherweight Championship]
– Chael Sonnen vs “All American” Brian Stann
– Demian Maia vs Jorge “The Sandman” Santiago
– Joe “J-Lau” Lauzon vs Melvin “The Young Assassin” Guillard
– Anthony “Showtime” Pettis vs Jeremy “Lil’ Heathen” Stephens
– Dave “Pee-Wee” Herman vs Mike Russow
– Josh “The Fluke” Grispi vs Matt “The Real One” Grice
(Photo Credit: Sherdog.com)