This Week’s MMA Birthdays: Anthony Pettis Turns 27

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The sixth lightweight titleholder in the 20-year history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Anthony Pettis will celebrate his 27th birthday on Jan. 27.

The man they call “Showtime” last appeared at UFC 164 in August, when he submitted Benson Henderson with a first-round armbar to capture the 155-pound crown at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in his native Milwaukee. Pettis -- Sherdog.com’s “Breakthrough Fighter of the Year” in 2010 -- has since withdrawn from a scheduled title defense against Josh Thomson and undergone knee surgery that will likely keep him sidelined until sometime this summer. He has compiled a 4-1 record since arriving in the UFC as part of the World Extreme Cagefighting merger three years ago, a unanimous decision defeat to Clay Guida at “The Ultimate Fighter 13” Finale his lone misstep.

Pettis trains out of the Roufusport camp, where he sharpens his skills under four-time world kickboxing champion Duke Roufus. A third-degree black belt in tae kwon do, he has finished each of his last three opponents -- Henderson, Donald Cerrone and Joe Lauzon -- inside one round.

Those in MMA celebrating a birthday during the week covering Jan. 26-Feb. 1:

JAN. 26

Dan Bobish (44)
Carmelo Marrero (33)
Rafaello Oliveira (32)

JAN. 27

Tony Sylvester (36)
Klay Konrad (32)
Anthony Pettis (27)

JAN. 28

Tim Boetsch (33)
Jesse Fujarczyk (31)
Brandon Saling (28)

JAN. 29

Stephen Palling (47)
Kazuyuki Miyata (38)

JAN. 30

Rob Kimmons (33)

JAN. 31

Akira Shoji (40)
Kengo Watanabe (38)
Maciej Jewtuszko (33)
Shunichi Shimizu (29)
Kirill Sukhomlinov (26)

FEB. 1

Bill Mahood (47)
Igor Pokrajac (35)
Jared Papazian (26)

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