UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis is expecting a short night at UFC 181 on December 6, believing that his opponent Gilbert Melendez doesn’t have the striking chops to hang with him for very long.

In an interview with FOX Sports, “Showtime” said Melendez’s striking and wrestling aren’t anywhere near good enough to give him a problem in their championship bout.

"I think he's very basic when it comes to standup," Pettis said. "He's got decent boxing and he's tough. That's most Mexican fighters, they are the most exciting fighters, they are tough and have good boxing. Unfortunately for him, that's my zone.”

"I think I outclass him in the striking like he's a beginner. He's still new to striking. His wrestling's not strong enough to hold me down. Once it's on the feet, he's in for a long night. Or maybe a short night."

Melendez, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt under Cesar Gracie, is a former Strikeforce lightweight champion who has scored 11 of his 22 victories via knockout.

The 32-year-old enters the bout after a nearly 14-month layoff, winning eight of his past nine bouts – with his past four contests going to the judges’ scorecards.

Pettis, who hasn’t competed in almost 16 months, is riding a four-fight win streak (three finishes) and is making just his first title defense since winning the title from Benson Henderson at UFC 164 last August.

Pettis vs. Melendez serves at the co-headliner for Saturday’s pay-per-view, with a welterweight title clash between Johny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler serving as the main event.