The stunning and sudden knockout by Anthony Pettis in Saturday’s UFC Nashville main event over Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson epitomizes the unique nature of this sport.
Pettis (22-8) had lost six of his previous nine fights. Now granted, it wasn’t as bad as that sounds. Everyone who beat him — Rafael dos Anjos, Eddie Alvarez, Max Holloway, Edson Barboza, Dustin Poirier, and Tony Ferguson — are all either major championship contenders or former and current champions.
Still, in moving up a weight class, he was the biggest underdog on the show.