Anthony Pettis vs. Jeremy Stephens part of UFC 136 prelims on Spike

The upcoming clash between scintillating strikers Anthony Pettis and Jeremy Stephens, viewed as one of the frontrunners for “Fight of the Night” at UFC 136, has been officially announced as part of the preliminary portion of the card scheduled to air on Spike TV on October 8 when the Octagon makes a stop in Houston for the event. Both lightweights have won four of their last five bouts and are known for turning in exciting performances in part due to their fearless approach to fighting as well as a fan-friendly style focusing on stand-up.

Pettis, whose “Showtime Kick” against Ben Henderson is widely considered to be one of MMA’s all-time highlights, is coming off a loss against Clay Guida after stringing together a quartet of victories including success against Shane Roller and Henderson.

Meanwhile, Stephens will be looking for his third straight win after dominating Danny Downes and Marcus Davis in his previous match-ups. He holds an overall record of 20-6 with fourteen TKOs to his credit.

The other Spike TV pairing will involve talented Brazilians Demian Maia and Jorge Santiago. Maia, one of the top BJJ artists in the middleweight division if not the sport, has shown improved striking in his last few fights and will need to continue the trend against the well-rounded Santiago who has twelve TKOs and nine submissions in twenty-three total wins.

UFC 136 is headlined by a pair of title-fights featuring 155 pound king Frank Edgar defending his belt against familiar foe Gray Maynard and explosive featherweight champ Jose Aldo taking on former lightweight contender Ken Florian.

PHOTO CREDIT – ZUFFA