Five Reasons Why Anthony Pettis Will Destroy Eddie Alvarez

We are now just one day away from UFC Fight Night 81, as the event is set to go down tomorrow night (January 17, 2016) from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will finally make his return to the Octagon after losing his belt in brutal fashion to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185 last March.

Coming off of this devastating loss as well as another injury setback, Pettis is in a crucial position as two straight losses could force many to forget about him in the 155-pound division.

That being said, he will attempt to bounce back in Boston, but he won’t have an easy task in front of him, as he’s set to meet former Bellator champion Eddie “The Silent Assassin” Alvarez.

A tough and gritty veteran, Alvarez has split wins and losses in his short UFC career thus far, but he remains a tough out for the division’s best.

With major title implications on the line, both men will be gunning for a win, but let’s look at five reasons why “Showtime” will destroy Alvarez tomorrow night:

Motivation

Coming in to 2015, Pettis had the world at his fingertips. At the time, he was the reigning UFC champion, one of the first athletes to be signed to a solo deal with Reebok, and he was chosen to be on the front of the Wheaties cereal box.

The promotion had primed him to be the next big thing.

However, injuries and the one-sided loss to dos Anjos would prove to be a massive downfall for the 28 year old.

Now in 2016, Pettis appears to be healthy and on the brink of yet another title run. Not only will he be highly motivated to reclaim his title, but “Showtime” will be eager to prove that his loss to dos Anjos was a fluke, and that he has the ability to live up to the expectations that had previously been set for him.

A healthy and motivated Pettis is a scary thought and Alvarez could soon find himself in the cross hairs of “Showtime’s” deadly attacks.

Self-Belief

Along with motivation comes self-belief which has proved to be crucial in the fight game.

Just look at featherweight champion and Irish superstar Conor McGregor for example. The “Notorious” one has said everything that he was going to do, believed that he was going to do it, and then went out and accomplished his task.

While none may believe in themselves more than McGregor, Pettis has recently shown signs of this same trait.

Leading up to his clash with “The Silent Assassin”, the former champion has repeatedly said that he feels when he’s healthy, there’s not a lightweight in the world that can beat him. “Showtime” simply feels as if he’s on another level.

Despite his recent road blocks, Pettis may very well still remain amongst the division’s top guns, and if he believes this as well, he’ll become all the more dangerous.

A motivated and hungry “Showtime” who doesn’t believe that he can be beaten sparks serious trouble for the former Bellator title holder.

New Wrestling Coach

Pettis’s strengths inside of the Octagon are quite clear. The Duke Roufus trained fighter is an incredible athlete with a well-rounded skill set to complement his athleticism.

However, there has been one glaring weakness seen with Pettis and that would be his wrestling skills, or there lack of.

His only two losses in the UFC have come to grinding wrestler Clay Guida and dos Anjos. Despite improving his striking tremendously, the Brazilian champion was able to pressure “Showtime”, taking the fight to the ground at will.

A change was clearly needed, and the former champion was well aware of that as he’s enlisted the help of highly touted wrestling coach Izzy Martinez. Martinez is widely known for working with some of the fighters at Jackson-Winklejohn MMA, and has specifically shown the ability to turn strong strikers into solid wrestlers.

While Alvarez may not look to shoot for takedowns as often as some other lightweights, he does have a background in wrestling and has often looked to put pressure on his opponents.

If Pettis can shrug off the takedowns in this bout and keep the fight on the feet where he wants it, it’s his bout to lose.

Overlooked Submission Skills

While Pettis’ wrestling skills have been a constant question mark, he actually happens to be a very strong fighter on the ground.

A brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, “Showtime’s” submission skills are often overlooked. He submitted former champion Benson Henderson back in 2013 to win the title then chocked out Gilbert Melendez last year in his first defense of the strap.

Overall, the Milwaukee native has scored eight of his 18 career wins by way of submission, and has proven to be tricky and deceptively quick when going for a lock or a choke.

While I don’t necessarily see the fight playing out this way, if Alvarez indeed attempts to take the fight to the ground, he may not be aware of what kind of danger he may have put himself in.

World Class Striking

It’s no secret what Pettis’ go to is and that would be his stand up game. A life-long striker, this is “Showtime’s” bread and butter and he has evolved into one of the best strikers in mixed martial arts (MMA) today.

A third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do, Pettis has been throwing kicks and punches since a young age. Now in the prime of his career, he possesses some of the most devastating kicks in the business. Lightning fast and abundantly accurate, “Showtime” has proven time and time again the ability to put an opponent away with his feet.

Not only is he a marksman with his attacks, but his arsenal is unpredictable and vast. Unafraid to try new things, and throw everything but the kitchen sink at his opponent, Pettis seems to have the ability to do things inside of the cage that others cannot.

With seven career knockout wins, the ex-champ has proven to be a world class striker, and I think he uses this skillset to end the fight early.

Are you ready for “Showtime”?