UFC Champ Anthony Pettis Receives Certificate of Achievement From Wisconsin Governor

UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis received a Certificate of Achievement from the Governor of Wisconsin on Monday for his fighting achievements as well as his charitable and community efforts.

The state’s 45th Governor, Scott Walker, presented Pettis, a Wisconsin native, with the letter at the Governor’s office in Madison.

“It’s great to see people from Wisconsin living out their dreams,” Governor Walker said.  “Anthony Pettis’s strong work ethic and tenacity made him a champion, and I am pleased to congratulate him on his championship.”

Pettis (17-2) was crowned the last WEC lightweight champion in December 2010, and made his UFC debut in June 2011, losing to Clay Guida by unanimous decision. Since the loss to Guida, Pettis has won four fights in a row, including capturing the lightweight world title by defeating former titleholder Benson Henderson by submission in August.

He was expected to make his first title defense against TJ Grant at UFC on Fox 9 on Dec. 14, but Grant was replaced by Josh Thomson due to not being medically cleared from a concussion he received while training for UFC 164 in August. A knee injury forced Pettis out of the bout with Thomson in mid-November.

Pettis will have surgery on Dec. 12 to repair a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. He is expected to return to the cage by summertime 2014.