Anthony Pettis has been known for his head kicks.

They might be crazy but effective nonetheless. In fact, he had already knocked out two opponents with a head kick: Mike Lambrecht in March 2008 and Danny Castillo at WEC 47 in March 2010.

He is not nicknamed “Showtime” without reason.

At the final WEC event last December 16, 2010 at Glendale, Arizona, USA, Pettis challenged Ben Henderson for the WEC Lightweight Championsip with the winner becoming the #1 contender for the UFC Lightweight Championship due to the UFC/WEC merger.

In a Fight of the Year candidate, the two engaged in a back-and-forth battle. Then in the waning seconds of Round 5, one of the most amazing head kicks in the history of mixed-martial arts happened.

It almost seems like something pulled out from a Chinese kung-fu movie. Anthony Pettis jumps off the cage and kicks Ben Henderson in the face while in mid-air. It was plain sick!

GIF:

YouTube video with various angles and slow-mo:

Pettis defeated Henderson via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 48-47) to become the new WEC Lightweight Champion.

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Check out the other head kicks from Anthony Pettis’ career:

vs Shane Roller at WEC 50 (August 18, 2010)

vs Danny Castillo at WEC 47 (March 6, 2010) – Knockout of the Night - visit 3:15 mark

vs Mike Lambrecht at GFS: Knockout Kings (March 29, 2008) – visit 4:30 mark

Please read my related posts:

1. WEC 53 | Anthony Pettis Wins WEC/UFC Title Unification Bout Contendership On December 16, 2010, Ben “Smooth” Henderson defends his WEC Lightweight title against Anthony “Showtime” Pettis. The two will headline...
2. WEC 53: Henderson vs Pettis REPLAY WEC 53: Henderson vs Pettis was held on December 16, 2010, at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale,...
3. WEC 53: Henderson vs Pettis, The Farewell Event WEC 53 promises to be a can’t miss event as it features two championship fights in one night. On December...
4. TUF 13 Finale | Clay Guida vs Anthony Pettis MATCHUP: Clay “The Carpenter” Guida vs Anthony “Showtime” Pettis EVENT: The Ultimate Fighter: Team Lesnar vs. Team dos Santos Finale...
5. WEC 48 | First Pay-Per-View Event in WEC History The first pay-per-view fight card in World Extreme Cagefighting history will happen at WEC 48 on April 24, 2010. After...

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Tags: anthony pettis, ben henderson, WEC 53