Melendez: Pettis is a little over confident, that makes me happy

UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis has expressed great confidence ahead of his fight Saturday night with Gil Melendez in the co-main event of UFC 181, saying he doesn’t think the fight makes it past the first round.

Now in an interview with Jeremy Brand for MMASucka, Melendez says he sees a little over confidence. Further, Melendez says he has prepared for Pettis’s arsenal of unconventional kicks, and plans to take the fight into deep water.

I’m not really surprised, I think he needs to say what he needs to say to pump himself up, said Melendez. I think he’s a little over confident and that kind of makes me happy. I like that he thinks that and he’s underestimating me. I hope that’s all true talk and that will just make my victory that much better. Getting out of the first round and I’m going to look at him in the face and let him know he’s in for a long night.

I brought in Ky Hollenbeck and Kevin Ross. Kevin Ross is the Lion Fight champion and Ky Hollenbeck fights in Glory, so they’re really good kickers and good kicks come out of nowhere. Just seeing that range and seeing that explosiveness with the kicks, so I feel like I’m prepared for that. I’m more of a boxer, I like to get inside the pocket and box. It is difficult to deal with these kicks that come out of nowhere and to get that game going, but he’s going to be better from the outside and I think I’ll be better from the toe-to-toe inside action.

I think it’s going to be a grind. I think it’s going to go into deep water; deeper rounds. I think we’re going to both push the pace, but I think someone will be finished towards the end and I think it will be him. I think this fight’s going to end in the fourth or fifth round.

What do you think UG? Who when, when, and how?