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Anthony Pettis got a sweet, motivational surprise on the way to practice Monday

Anthony Pettis walked out to a sweet surprise on Monday. He is less than two weeks away from UFC 164, where he will rematch with UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson in his hometown of Milwaukee. While on the way to the gym, he came upon these motivational signs.

Among the signs: 'Showtime this is for you', 'The road to the gold ends in your hometown', 'Because you persevered and you never backed down', 'You battled back from injuries', 'And fixed holes in your game', and 'To chase your dream you endured the pain'.

Pettis was born and raised in Milwaukee, and experienced the worst moment of his life there as his father was murdered in 2003. Looking for a healthy outlet to channel his anger after the tragic incident, Pettis turned to mixed martial arts at the Milwaukee-based Roufus Sport. Under the tutelage of gym founder/head coach Duke Roufus, Pettis learned the intricacies of the sport and eventually become the WEC champion with a win over Henderson in 2010.

Boston fans gave Irish fighter Conor McGregor a hearty welcome on Saturday at Ultimate Fight Night 26. Having not watched Pettis fight in his hometown since 2008, Milwaukee fans will surely give their lightweight star a rousing ovation of his own at UFC 164.

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