Circumstance has finally proven itself friendly to a long-anticipated rematch between UFC Champion Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis.
UFC announced Friday that Henderson and Pettis, who last fought in the main-event of the final WEC show in December 2010, will battle for the former’s UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 164. Co-headlined by Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett, the show takes place on August 31.
Regarded as one of the best fights of all time, their initial scrap also contains one of mixed martial arts’ most famous moves of all time. In a highlight-reel moment that ranked as one of ESPN’s top moves of 2010, Pettis springboarded off the cage to deliver the “Showtime Kick” to Henderson, making for a decisive, unforgettable moment in a very close fight.
In clinching the fifth and final round for Pettis, the move essentially won the challenger the fight and confirmed he would go down as the final WEC Lightweight Champion.
Pettis was due to fight the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion in a title unifier, but a draw in the the Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard title fight put their rematch on the fast track. Pettis accepted–and lost–a fight with fan-favorite Clay Guida in the interim, which took him out of title contention.
The dynamic fighter worked his way back into the mix with wins over Jeremy Stephens, Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone, the latter two of which featured first round stoppages, but then opted to drop down to fight Jose Aldo for the Featherweight Championship at UFC 163.
Pettis’ decision to fight for the lower-weight-class belt opened the door for TJ Grant to emerge as the number one contender to current UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson’s gold. Their fight was set for UFC 164.
Pettis then suffered an injury, serious enough to knock him off the UFC 163 card but not significant enough to keep him away from UFC 164, which takes place in his hometown of Milwaukee. Given the circumstance and the fact that he was considered a top lightweight contender before agreeing to fight at 145, Pettis campaigned for the UFC 164 shot with Henderson.
But with Grant confirmed as Henderson’s opponent, it seemed Pettis would not get his wish. Until Friday, when word came that Grant suffered an injury. The eagerly-anticipated Henderson-Pettis rematch is finally on.