Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is coming off a big win over ex-Strikeforce titleholder Josh Thomson, so it’s no surprise he isn’t thrilled with a potential superfight between Jose Aldo and Anthony Pettis.
Aldo, the long-reigning UFC featherweight champ, dialed in another dominant title defense at UFC 169 on Saturday (his eighth in a row) against Ricardo Lamas.
“Scarface” was set to defend the 145-pound strap against Pettis at UFC 163 in August, but the superfight wasn’t meant to be, as “Showtime” withdrew from the bout due to a knee injury.
Now that Aldo has seemingly cleared out the featherweight division after 17 wins in a row, coupled with the fact that Pettis defeated “Bendo” for the lightweight title at UFC 164—also in August—it makes sense for Aldo to finally make the jump to 155 pounds.
Henderson voiced his displeasure with the possible matchup shortly after UFC 169 concluded:
U gotta be kidding me?!…my mama taught me to be a better man n keep my mouth shut if I don’t have anything nice to say, I’m out #UFC169
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) February 2, 2014
And just in case there was any doubt that Henderson was talking about the landscape of the UFC lightweight division’s title picture, he cleared up any doubt when he responded to a fans inquiry on the situation:
Title shot drama…I’m goin on my honeymoon to forget about this horse manure…RT @DanielMadridMMA: @BensonHenderson what happened bro?
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) February 2, 2014
At the UFC 169 post-fight press conference, UFC President Dana White said Aldo vs. Pettis made the most sense for the next lightweight title fight after Pettis is ready to return from his injury, per MMA Junkie’s Steven Marrocco and John Morgan.
With all that in mind, perhaps Henderson’s complaints are unwarranted since White expressed that the Arizona native’s controversial decision win over Thomson wasn’t enough to earn him another crack at UFC gold yet, per Yahoo! Sports’ Elias Cepeda.
Henderson has won eight of his last 10 fights, and his only losses during that slightly over three-year stretch have come against Pettis.
According to the UFC’s official rankings, Bendo remains the top contender in the lightweight division.
Following the recent developments at featherweight and lightweight, is Aldo vs. Pettis the most logical matchup for the next 155-pound title fight inside the Octagon?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA editor for eDraft.com.
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