UFC 164‘s main event is a rematch of the lasting legacy of WEC.
Anthony Pettis stunned Benson Henderson in the last WEC event to take his lightweight championship. The “Showtime Kick” is still seen in UFC highlight packages today, and Henderson will have a chance to get a bit of revenge at UFC 164.
Pettis was supposed to unify the two titles with a UFC Lightweight Championship bout, but championship rematches and injuries kept that from happening. Pettis would take a fight against Clay Guida and lose by decision.
In order to get his title shot, Pettis had to win three in a row. He took Jeremy Stephens to a decision and then won back-to-back Knockout of the Night awards over Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone, respectively. With Henderson slated to defend the title against TJ Grant, Pettis opted to drop to featherweight for a shot at Aldo.
An injury forced Pettis off the card, and then an injury to Grant opened the door for Pettis to stay at 155 for a rematch against Henderson. The timing worked out well for Pettis, and he still gets a crack at UFC gold.
Henderson got on a winning streak that took him to the title. He won the gold and subsequently defended it three times. Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez have all tasted defeat in championship matches against Henderson. Now, he has a chance to defend it against the man to last beat him.
Saturday night will answer a lot of questions about both fighters, and with such high stakes, everyone can be sure that we will see another exceptional bout between the two talented lightweights. Bleacher Report will be here to chronicle the bout from start to finish.
The UFC 164 PPV begins at 10 p.m. ET.
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