Gilbert Melendez did a fantastic job at closing the distance in the first round, not allowing Pettis to throw any of his unorthodox strikes. Pettis’ offense was limited in the first five minutes and Melendez implemented his gameplan wonderfully. He took Pettis down twice and dug into his body with brutal body shots. As the horn sounded signifying the end of the first round, Pettis put his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. He knew he was fighting Melendez’s fight and he wanted to change that.

Gilbert Melendez did a fantastic job in the first round shutting Pettis’ game down, but Pettis was patient and waited for an opportunity to present itself in the second round.

In the second round, Melendez stepped in and got cut off with a left. The shot wobbled him and he tried to recover by going for a takedown. Pettis stepped away and Melendez kept working for the takedown but grabbing a leg, but Pettis saw he presented his neck. Melendez was soon trapped in a guillotine there was NO escaping from. Melendez tried to escape by rolling out of it, but it just turned Pettis’ guillotine into a mounted guillotine.

Anthony Pettis has FINALLY defended his championship.

Anthony Pettis def. Gilbert Melendez by way of Submission (Mounted Guillotine) 1:53 of Round 2