UFC 181 Notebook: Idle No More

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Anthony Pettis has spent a grand total of eight minutes and 27 seconds inside the Octagon over the last three years, the world’s premier lightweight beset by a series of injury-induced layoffs and a coaching stint on Season 20 of “The Ultimate Fighter.”

The 27-year-old will return to the cage for the first time in some 15 months on Saturday, when he defends his Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown against Gilbert Melendez in the UFC 181 co-main event at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. Pettis shrugs at questions regarding his inactivity.

“I’ve had long layoffs before,” he told Sherdog.com. “After the [Joe] Lauzon fight, I took a year off and went through [Donald] Cerrone in under [three minutes]. I’m not really worried about it.”

Pettis last competed at UFC 164 in August 2013, when he submitted Benson Henderson with a first-round armbar to claim organizational gold at 155 pounds. He underwent subsequent surgery to repair damage to his left knee and then agreed to coach opposite Melendez on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Pettis claims to be healthy entering his first title defense.

“It’s been a long camp,” he said. “Knee feels good. It’s not even an issue. I’m not even thinking about it.”

Melendez poses a serious threat. Rugged and experienced, the Cesar Gracie protégé has rattled off eight wins in nine appearances, a disputed decision loss to Henderson the only blemish. Melendez, 32, has not competed since engaging in an unforgettable battle with Diego Sanchez at UFC 166 more than a year ago. He has Pettis’ attention -- and respect.

“He’s just a tough Mexican,” the champion said. “He gets in there and he throws. You saw the fight with Diego Sanchez. He’s not backing down, and that’s what I like. I think a fighter like Melendez is going to bring out the best Anthony Pettis. If he can withstand the punches and the kicks, then we’ll see a good fight.”

Pettis believes he has at least one distinct advantage.

“He thinks he can walk through my kicks,” the Milwaukee native said. “He said in an interview that, ‘I can walk through his kicks.’ That was his quote. I mean, that’s what he said. That’s never happened to me in practice, [and] that’s never happened to me in a fight.”

In the heart of his competitive prime, Pettis has major plans moving forward, and they begin with successfully defending the lightweight championship for the first time.

“I have a run to go on: 2015 has to be a busy year,” he said. “I’ve got to shut up a lot of contenders, and I’ve got to prove why I’m the best in the world. I’m just going to stay focused on fighting. There’s so much more opportunities that are coming with it, but this is a small amount of time that I have to do this. My body can only hold up for so long, and I’m going to take full advantage of it.”

GOLDEN AMBITIONS

Robbie Lawler plans to make the most of his second chance.

The American Top Team standout will challenge Johny Hendricks for the undisputed welterweight championship in the UFC 181 headliner, their anticipated rematch arriving a little less than nine months after they engaged in a “Fight of the Year” contender. A former EliteXC champion, Lawler has enjoyed a career resurgence since dropping to 170 pounds and returning to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, posting a stellar 5-1 record.

The 32-year-old Lawler has fought twice since losing a five-round unanimous decision to “Bigg Rigg” at UFC 171 in March, defeating Jake Ellenberger and Matt Brown. Hendricks, meanwhile, has remained sidelined following surgeries on his biceps and shin.

“A lot’s going to be different [this time],” Lawler said. “Obviously, he’s been working on his skills, but I’ve been fighting a lot lately and my training camps have gone really well. I’m strong now today than I was then.”

THIS & THAT

UFC 181 “Hendricks vs. Lawler 2” will be the 300th event staged in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ... Hendricks compiled a 101-5 career record as a wrestler at Edmond Memorial High School in Edmond, Okla., before moving on to Oklahoma State University, where he was a four-time NCAA All-American and two-time national champion for the Cowboys ... Melendez is one of seven men to have held the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight title. Pettis, Benson Henderson, Jamie Varner, “Razor” Rob McCullough, Hermes Franca and Gabe Ruediger are the others ... The four fighters to whom Brendan Schaub has lost -- Andrei Arlovski, Ben Rothwell, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Roy Nelson -- have 111 victories between them ... Todd Duffee sports seven-, 15-, 16-, 34-, 77- and 85-second finishes on his resume ... All 16 of Team Alpha Male patriarch Urijah Faber’s submission victories have come via guillotine or rear-naked choke ... Tony Ferguson’s nickname, “El Cucuy,” means “The Boogeyman” in Spanish ... Serra-Longo Fight Team representative Eddie Gordon is a native of Montego Bay, the fourth-largest city in Jamaica ... Former Championship Fighting Alliance titleholder Ashlee Evans-Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and media studies from Menlo College in California ... “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 19 winner Corey Anderson lists Warren Sapp and Muhammed Ali as his heroes ... When Sergio Pettis was born on Aug. 18, 1993, the top five songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 list were UB40’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Tag Team’s “Whoomp! (There It Is),” SWV’s “Weak,” The Proclaimers “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” and Onyx’s “Slam” ... Clay Collard, 21, is the sixth-youngest fighter on the active UFC roster.