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2. Pettis’ “Showtime Kick”
WEC 53 “Henderson vs. Pettis”
Dec. 16, 2010 | Glendale, Ariz.
WEC 53 was the last show for the World Extreme Cagefighting promotion, which had started as a house show for the Tachi Palace Casino before being bought out by Zuffa and placed on the Versus network. It quickly became known for its blue canvas, small cage and non-stop action, personified by fighters like Urijah Faber, Miguel Torres, Carlos Condit, Brian Stann and Jose Aldo.

That last show was one of the greatest in a history studded with outstanding fights and incredible fighters. The last fight, a lightweight championship bout between reigning champion Benson Henderson and upstart challenger Anthony Pettis, was a fitting crown for that history. Pettis, who had been featured on MTV’s “World of Jenks” earlier that year, had already built a dedicated following with his incredible kicking game, venomous guard play and extraordinary athleticism, and this was to be his breakout performance.

The first four rounds constituted a back-and-forth scrap of epic magnitude. Pettis looked to push Henderson toward the fence with his front kicks and land damaging single strikes, while Henderson tried to grind down Pettis with clinch work and takedown attempts. The scrambles were some of the quickest, most technical and absurdly athletic in the entire history of MMA to that point, with Pettis spending the better part of an entire round on Henderson’s back.

With a minute left in the fifth round, the fight was essentially even. Pettis pushed Henderson toward the cage once more, took a running start, jumped in the air and pushed off the fence with his right leg. While still suspended in mid-air, he kicked Henderson with his right foot, dropping him to the canvas. Color commentator Stephan Bonnar summed up the awe-struck reactions of the crowd and television viewers: “Did you see that? He ran off the wall like a ninja!”

It was enough to secure a hard-fought decision victory for “Showtime” and set him on the path that would eventually make him the UFC lightweight champion; and it went down as one of the greatest -- and straight-up coolest -- moves in the history of the sport.

Number 1 » Flying Scissor Heel Hook