"I honestly didn't think it was going to knock him out man. It landed flush and then it was over. I seized the moment, capitalized on it and gave him a couple of more punches to make sure he was out…I don't know if he was fully out from the kick. When he fell, I seen his eyes go back, but I wasn't taking no chances man. I went to the judges decision the last fight and I knew I had to finish this one, so I hit him on the chin and made sure I finished the fight," stated WEC lightweight Anthony Pettis as he talked about his impressive knockout victory over Danny Castillo this past weekend at WEC 47. Check it out!

PC: Congratulations on the win. That was a helluva head kick. How do you feel?

AP: Man, I'm feeling good. I couldn't have asked for anything better than that; a great knockout that got me "Knockout of the Night." I'm excited.

PC: Anytime you can scoop up some bonus money, it's a plus.

AP: Yeah! Hell yeah, man. It was only a 2 -minute fight, I'm healthy as hell after the fight and I got bonus money. I'm ready to go in April if they put me on man.

PC: Danny is a tough dude, man, with a lot of skill. Did you see an opening with him lowering his hands or pulling back to where that kick would be available?

AP: Duke Roufus, man. Duke Roufus called it out. I was just throwing a jab and we were kinda feeling each other out for a little bit. I just wanted to see how he would react. I threw a jump flying knee at him to see if he would shoot on me and he pulled his head back, so I knew he would pull his head back on my combo. So after the hands, I was either going to kick or knee. We saw he pulled his head back and Duke Roufus yelled out, "One-two, head kick." I was waiting and I threw the one-two and then the kick. I honestly didn't think it was going to knock him out man. It landed flush and then it was over. I seized the moment, capitalized on it and gave him a couple of more punches to make sure he was out.

PC: Once he hit the ground, you landed every one of those shots you threw. Was it because he was out or just that hurt?

AP: I don't know if he was fully out from the kick. When he fell, I seen his eyes go back, but I wasn't taking no chances man. I went to the judges decision the last fight and I knew I had to finish this one, so I hit him on the chin and made sure I finished the fight.

PC: You are a young fighter who was coming off of your first loss. How important was it for you to not only win, but look spectacular against Castillo?

AP: It was real important, man. WEC is a cutthroat business and if you don't impress these guys and entertain the fans, man, you might not get the call for another chance. My fighting style…I'm always a flashy fighter, but this fight, I actually settled down a little bit, stayed composed and stuck to a gameplan. It worked really well for me man.

PC: What were some of the things he was showing you early and what was the gameplan going into that fight?

AP: The gameplan was to move, man. Potshot punches. I didn't want to overcommit to any punches. I didn't want to overcommit to the jab or a cross and get caught with a takedown. I pretty much had to keep my posture upright and keep my center of gravity underneath me. I had to land pop-pop punches. Pat Barry was in my corner and he was kinda funny how he said it, but he was like, "Think about it like a Super Nintendo game, when someone is collecting coins on Mario Brothers. It's like bing, bing, bing." He was telling me to collect coins on the guy; just keep hitting him in the face like bing, bing. I heard him yelling that in the corner and then Roufus said, "One-two, head kick." And it landed.

PC: I think everything Pat Barry says is funny.

AP: Yeah, Pat Barry is a comedian man. That dude is hilarious.

PC: I'm sure you wanted to finish the fight, because every fighter likes to get the stoppage, but could you have imagined that ending?

AP: I didn't know it was going to end like that at all. Honestly, I thought it was going to be a tougher task. I looked at Danny Castillo as a tougher fight than Bart actually. Bart is a really game opponent, man. He beat Karen, but honestly, I thought Danny was going to be a tougher fight for me. Anything can happen in MMA and he got caught with his hands down and it was just in my favor.

PC: Are you hoping to be a part of the pay-per-view?

AP: If they put me on the pay-per-view, that's great, but I'm comfortable right now. If they want me on the pay-per-view, let's do this and if not, I will wait until the next one. I don't need to fight right away. I got a bonus, man, so I can chill for a little bit and be comfortable. If they want me to fight in April, I will fight in April, but if not, it can be in June or whenever the next card is.

PC: He seemed willing to stand a little more than I expected he would be. Were you surprised that he wasn't trying to get it to the ground more?

AP: He only took me down once. I overcommitted on a right hand and he took me down. Once he took me down though, you know, I'm really good on the ground too; my Jiu Jitsu is great. I had him close to being in a triangle. I was switching from submission to submission and he pulled back and let me stand back up. I'm surprised he didn't shoot in more on me and I think that's what his gameplan was, but he got away from it a little bit. I think he was hesitant to shoot because he was strictly trying to capitalize on my mistakes. Luckily, I capitalized on his first.

PC: Would you be interested in avenging your only loss to Bart Palaszewski, since both of you guys are coming off of big wins?

AP: Yeah, like I said in every interview, in that fight with Bart, I was coming off of shoulder surgery. I had shoulder surgery in September and when you do this as a job, man, you need to make money, so I needed the cash. I shouldn't have took the fight after 2 months of recovery, but I needed the cash. I was young and I was like, "I could beat him with one shoulder." Unfortunately it didn't work that way for me, so I just gotta stay healthy and I will fight anybody. I just gotta stay in the gym and stay training.

PC: Great finish against Castillo. Congrats again on the win and winning the bonus money. Is there anything you want to say in closing?

AP: I just want to thank my camp, Duke Roufus and Pat Barry and everybody at Roufus Sport, man. I love them guys.