"This is the 'Showtime' superman punch" - Daniel Cormier compares Michael Chandler's off-the-fence punch at UFC 268 with Anthony Pettis' iconic 'Showtime kick' against Benson Henderson
Daniel Cormier, in the latest episode of ESPN's Detail series, broke down the UFC 268 barnburner between Michael Chandler and Justin Gaethje. Analyzing footage from the third round of the fight, Cormier pointed out that Chandler made excellent use of the fence to land a perfectly timed Superman-punch on Gaethje.
Finding himself backed up against the cage by Gaethje, 'Iron' displayed brilliant awareness of his surroundings by using the fence to land a Superman-punch, catching his opponent by surprise. DC compared Chandler's innovative off-the-fence punch to Anthony Pettis' iconic 'Showtime kick' against Benson Henderson.
"Look at Chandler. You guys remember the 'Showtime' kick? What Anthony Pettis did to Benson Henderson. This is the 'Showtime' Superman punch," Cormier said.
Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis squared off in the main event of WEC 53 back in 2010, in a lightweight title clash. It was the final event hosted by the promotion before its merger with the UFC in 2011.
Henderson was the champion at the time while Pettis was the top contender. The fight was being fought on an equal footing until 'Showtime' did the unthinkable. He used his right leg to spring off the fence and landed a spectacular head kick on Henderson.
Pettis became the new lightweight champion with a unanimous decision victory over Henderson. The kick is still replayed over and over by fans across the globe to this day and was named the 'Showtime kick' as an ode to Pettis' nickname, 'Showtime'.
Check out the incredible kick below:
The "Showtime Kick" was born 10 years ago today 🤯
In the final round of his title fight against Benson Henderson at WEC 53, @Showtimepettis pulled off one of the most creative moves ever executed in a cage. https://t.co/Pi03rf9w7H
Michael Chandler to adopt a more cautious approach for future fights
Michael Chandler earned a lot of praise for his efforts despite losing via decision to Justin Gaethje at UFC 268. In retrospect, he doesn't think he'll ever indulge in a slugfest like that again. 'Iron' caused damage to his opponent but took a lot of punishment due to his sometimes reckless approach in the fight. Chandler claims he has learned his lesson and isn't willing to make the same mistake again.
“I don’t want to fight that way ever again, but 95% of the fight was just a good ol’ fashioned passionate scrap, you know?” Michael Chandler said during an appearance on Bussin’ With The Boys.
Check out the latest episode of Bussin' with The Boys featuring Michael Chandler below: