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MMA

25th Mar 2019

Conor McGregor welcomes Anthony Pettis to three-division victory club

Pettis' Superman punch earned him a win in his UFC welterweight debut

Darragh Murphy

“Welcome to the club”

Conor McGregor has congratulated Anthony Pettis on becoming the newest member of an exclusive club.

On Saturday night, Pettis added another moment of brilliance to his career highlight reel when a Superman punch earned him a knockout victory in his welterweight debut against Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson.

The former UFC lightweight champion, who fought twice at featherweight in 2016, enjoyed his trip up to 170 lbs in Nashville, where he stopped Thompson in the second round.

Pettis has a habit of producing another ‘Showtime’ moment just when it looks like his career is faltering and he is the latest fighter to prove the benefits to one’s body of avoiding drastic weight cuts.

With Saturday’s win, Pettis joins McGregor and Kenny Florian as the only fighters to hold wins in the UFC at 145 lbs, 155 lbs and 170 lbs.

And ‘The Notorious’ was quick to congratulate Pettis on the achievement.

McGregor is a master of inserting himself into the conversation with his social media reaction to UFC events, having done so on several occasions in recent months.

Pettis, meanwhile, responded to the Irishman’s tweet by revealing that he would be willing to share the Octagon with McGregor in the near future.

“Let’s do it. Hey, 170, 155, I’m not cutting down to ’45 again, so I’m willing,” Pettis said.

“That’s the fight I think the fans would love to see, too. Two strikers like that, it would be amazing.”