LAS VEGAS (April 2, 2012) – XYIENCE team athlete Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, 25, will appear at GNC in the Mall of Georgia (3333 Buford Drive) in Buford on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 2 to 3 p.m. Pettis is a huge fan favorite and organizers anticipate a big turnout for the event.  XYIENCE will also be sampling its award-winning energy drink Xenergy, the official energy drink of the UFC.

Pettis’ appearance coincides with UFC® 145: Jones vs. Evans slated for April 21, 2012 at Atlanta’s Phillips Arena where XYIENCE team athlete Jon “Bones” Jones (15-1), the current UFC light heavyweight champion will defend his title against Rashad Evans in the main event.   Also on the main card for the event is XYIENCE athlete Mark “The Machine” Hominick, (20-10) who faces Eddie Yagin in a featherweight bout.

Pettis, who will be in Atlanta to support his XYIENCE teammates, was in the octagon for just 90 seconds on Saturday, Feb. 25 at UFC® 144: Edgar vs. Henderson, enough time to become a lightweight title contender. Pettis defeated his opponent Joe Lauzon by knockout, landing a head kick in the first round. He received Knockout of the Night honors from the UFC for his performance, which includes a bonus from the UFC. Pettis (13-2) is now considered a viable candidate to challenge current UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson.

In December 2010, Pettis defeated Henderson to become the final athlete to hold the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) lightweight championship belt; the WEC and UFC merged shortly thereafter. During the title fight, Pettis performed a unique move—later coined the “Showtime Kick”—by using the cage as a lateral springboard to launch a roundhouse kick to his opponent’s face in the final minute of the fight. That moment was recognized by ESPN as a 2010 Top 10 Highlight Reel. It was also featured on CNN and has been viewed over two million times on YouTube.

For more information on XYIENCE, Xenergy and Anthony Pettis, please visit www.xyience.com.

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