3.) Pressure:
Another factor that has rarely (if ever) been discussed is the pressure that is undoubtedly weighing on Pettis’ shoulders right now. Not only is he coming in off a very long layoff with a ton of hype behind him, but he was also unveiled as the first-ever MMA fighter to appear on the Wheaties cereal box yesterday.
That’s a big accomplishment and a milestone for a fighter that is definitely near the top of his sport, and it also lends even more magnitude to his fight with Melendez, making it a must-win affair.
Pettis also increased that pressure exponentially by repeatedly predicting a first-round finish of “El Nino,” a man who has never been stopped. While his unorthodox strikes can finish any man at 155 pounds, vehemently predicting such a narrow result could get Pettis into hot water if he finds himself entrenched in a war.
And given “El Nino’s” track record, that could be a more likely result than the flashy knockout he’s talked up so often. Pettis has been in some drawn out bouts in the octagon, and he’s come out on top in one while narrowly escaping the other. He has to be ready to fight a grueling contest, and he can’t underestimate Melendez while doing so.
That pressure is further amplified by the fact that Pettis is now the champion, a position he fought so hard to obtain up until this point. We don’t know how he’ll react to being the hunted. All signs would point to him excelling in the face of extreme pressure, but this is far and away the biggest bout of his life.
If his only acceptable outcome is a first round knockout, he could be disappointed.
