It’s a fight that Anthony Pettis has wanted for the past two years, and now he’s finally getting his crack at the UFC lightweight title.
News broke late Friday evening that current top LW contender T.J. Grant suffered an injury in training and was forc…
It’s a fight that Anthony Pettis has wanted for the past two years, and now he’s finally getting his crack at the UFC lightweight title.
News broke late Friday evening that current top LW contender T.J. Grant suffered an injury in training and was forced out of his upcoming bout at UFC 164 against champion Benson Henderson.
So, with just over a month to go until fight time, the UFC has called in Anthony Pettis to face Henderson in the new UFC 164 main event. The news was first reported by John Morgan of MMA Junkie and subsequently confirmed by UFC president Dana Whiteon Twitter.
It didn’t take Pettis long to react as well, tweeting out, “Is this real life?” He was obviously quite happy with the news and shortly added the following:
Pettis was actually scheduled to fight for the UFC featherweight title on August 3, but a knee injury forced him out of the UFC 163 bout with Jose Aldo. “Showtime” was advised he had a slight tear in his MCL, which would not require surgery but would put him out of action for a few weeks.
Immediately, Pettis saw August 31 in his hometown of Milwaukee as a golden opportunity to return and face Henderson. By that time, however, the UFC had already installed Grant as the No. 1 contender.
Even when Pettis was hopeful about gaining the slot, White shot down the idea because he didn’t believe that his knee would be ready in time, according to MMA Junkie‘s Matt Erickson. Whatever changed between then and now is unknown, but Pettis will get the shot.
The last time Pettis and Henderson met was in the final WEC show back in December 2010. The fight was an instant classic, but it was capped off in the fifth and final round with Pettis uncorking a never-before-seen kick off the cage to slam his foot into Henderson’s face.
The move was eventually dubbed the “Showtime kick” and made just about every highlight reel on television the next day. Pettis won the fight by unanimous decision.
Now, he will have a chance to do it all over again. And this time, for the UFC lightweight title.
Also featured on the UFC 164 card at the BMO Harris Bradley Center will be a heavyweight bout between Frank Mir and the returning Josh Barnett, as well as a featherweight clash between Chad Mendes and Clay Guida.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
So it turns out that you don’t need to win any popularity contests, carry a weighty reputation or own a Ph.D in smack talk to garner a title shot in the UFC. Keeping your head down and filling up the win column can still get it done.Case in point: TJ G…
So it turns out that you don’t need to win any popularity contests, carry a weighty reputation or own a Ph.D in smack talk to garner a title shot in the UFC. Keeping your head down and filling up the win column can still get it done.
Case in point: TJ Grant.
By all accounts, the Canadian is a fighter of middling renown. Yet, riding an impressive five-fight win streak, he is poised to battle Benson Henderson for the lightweight crown at UFC 164.
Grant will enter the bout as a betting underdog, but not one who should be counted out. In fact, there are a good many reasons to believe in the 29-year-old.
I believe, and I’ve decided to subject you to five slides’ worth of opinion stating why.
“I can be 100% ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee,” said Pettis to Fuel TV. “With all due respect to T.J. Grant, Milwaukee is my town, and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years.”
For the record, UFC president Dana White claims that Pettis’s knee won’t be ready in time for UFC 164 on August 31st, but obviously he’s just trying to keep the public from catching on to his dastardly plot, and TJ Grant will be faking his own injury sometime within the next couple weeks. Allegedly.
But seriously, here’s what Grant had to say about the situation…
“I can be 100% ready to fight Benson Henderson in Milwaukee,” said Pettis to Fuel TV. “With all due respect to T.J. Grant, Milwaukee is my town, and the fight with Ben is the fight everyone has wanted for years.”
For the record, UFC president Dana White claims that Pettis’s knee won’t be ready in time for UFC 164 on August 31st, but obviously he’s just trying to keep the public from catching on to his dastardly plot, and TJ Grant will be faking his own injury sometime within the next couple weeks. Allegedly.
But seriously, here’s what Grant had to say about the situation…
“As of right now I haven’t been told anything, I’m preparing for Benson Henderson. I try not to focus on all that other stuff. I know that there are possibilities, but I haven’t heard anything…right now, my sights are set on Benson Henderson, I feel like I earned my shot and it’s my time…I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll, man, I’m not gonna worry about it right now…I’m fighting Benson Henderson, that’s as far as I know right now.”
Former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis wants a rematch with current UFC 155-pound champ Benson Henderson at UFC 164 in August, which takes place in his hometown of Milwaukee. If only it were that simple though. Two major issues here: Petti…
Former WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis wants a rematch with current UFC 155-pound champ Benson Henderson at UFC 164 in August, which takes place in his hometown of Milwaukee.
If only it were that simple though. Two major issues here: Pettis had to pull out of his 145-pound title fight with Jose Aldo due to a knee injury, and “Bendo” is already booked to fight TJ Grant at the August pay-per-view in question.
As expected, Grant, who earned his title shot after five-straight wins at lightweight, isn’t ready to step aside just because the injury bug bit “Showtime” at an inopportune moment.
Responding to a fan on Twitter, Grant made it clear he has every intention of fighting Henderson at the end of the summer, regardless of what Pettis wants:
“Anthony Pettis‘ knee is not bad, but it’s not good,” White said when speaking to the media after UFC 161 ended. “He doesn’t require surgery, (but) he’s going to have to go into therapy … He talked to a doctor, and the doctor said he’s out for a good six weeks, and he needs a good therapist, and he needs to get his knee back. That’s what our doctor said. He talked to a therapist in Milwaukee who told him three weeks. I could give a s—t what the therapist in Milwaukee things, I’m listening to the doctor. I’m going to fly him out to Vegas to see Dr. Saunders, too, for a second opinion.”
Fans have been clamoring for Pettis vs. Henderson II ever since their “Fight of the Year” effort in December 2010, where Pettis landed his infamous “Showtime Kick” off the cage.
The flashy move is likely what solidified the unanimous decision victory for the Roufusport standout, who captured the WEC lightweight belt with the win.
Pettis had his UFC debut spoiled by Clay Guida in June 2011, but has since rattled off three-straight wins over Jeremy Stephens, Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone.
According to the UFC’s official lightweight rankings, Pettis is the second best 155-pound fighter in the world, while Grant hold down the the third spot on the list.
Grant last competed at UFC 160 last month, scoring a brutal first-round knockout over former UFC title challenger Gray Maynard.
Is there even the slightest chance that Pettis vs. Henderson II is closer than anyone could have thought, or has this heavily-anticipated rematch been put on hold for 2013?
JohnHeinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
Most casual fans couldn’t pick Benson Henderson — a world title holder — or TJ Grant — a man challenging for a world title — out of a lineup.
That’s not either guy’s fault. Benson Henderson managed to get the nod from the judges in his last three title defenses, scoring victories over the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz. And TJ Grant has put together a five-fight winning streak, most recently sending Gray Maynard down faster than Zynga’s stock price.
But that’s the problem: A fight between two guys who have done nothing but kick ass isn’t moving the needle. It’s not that the populace has run out of fucks to give about Henderson and Grant, they just never gave any in the first place.
Want proof?
Look at the estimated buyrates for Henderson’s PPVs. Henderson hasn’t been on a PPV since UFC 150 in August 2012, a card that earned a pathetic 190,000 buys. People don’t want to part with their cash to see Benson Henderson, so the UFC started giving him away for free on FOX. Bendo main evented two FOX cards which performed okay ratings-wise.
The UFC is putting Henderson back on PPV at UFC 164 for his title defense against TJ Grant. This PPV is a Battle of the Blackwater moment for the UFC. If UFC 164 can boast a decent buyrate, then the theory that the UFC can use FOX to create the next generation of stars will be proven true, and the UFC’s future will be a little more secure. But if UFC 164 fails as hard as UFC 150 did — if promoting a fighter TWO TIMES on one of the biggest networks on television failed to make that fighter a draw — then the UFC is in trouble. That would mean one champion who would be dead weight on a card, in addition to the champions from the lighter men’s weight classes who have all yet to establish themselves as major PPV draws.
(TJ Grant, doing his impression of a UFC fan who’s just been told that TJ Grant will be headlining a pay-per-view. Photo via MMAJunkie)
Most casual fans couldn’t pick Benson Henderson — a world title holder — or TJ Grant — a man challenging for a world title — out of a lineup.
That’s not either guy’s fault. Benson Henderson managed to get the nod from the judges in his last three title defenses, scoring victories over the likes of Gilbert Melendez and Nate Diaz. And TJ Grant has put together a five-fight winning streak, most recently sending Gray Maynard down faster than Zynga’s stock price.
But that’s the problem: A fight between two guys who have done nothing but kick ass isn’t moving the needle. It’s not that the populace has run out of fucks to give about Henderson and Grant, they just never gave any in the first place.
Want proof?
Look at the estimated buyrates for Henderson’s PPVs. Henderson hasn’t been on a PPV since UFC 150 in August 2012, a card that earned a pathetic 190,000 buys. People don’t want to part with their cash to see Benson Henderson, so the UFC started giving him away for free on FOX. Bendo main evented two FOX cards which performed okay ratings-wise.
The UFC is putting Henderson back on PPV at UFC 164 for his title defense against TJ Grant. This PPV is a Battle of the Blackwater moment for the UFC. If UFC 164 can boast a decent buyrate, then the theory that the UFC can use FOX to create the next generation of stars will be proven true, and the UFC’s future will be a little more secure. But if UFC 164 fails as hard as UFC 150 did — if promoting a fighter TWO TIMES on one of the biggest networks on television failed to make that fighter a draw — then the UFC is in trouble. That would mean one champion who would be dead weight on a card, in addition to the champions from the lighter men’s weight classes who have all yet to establish themselves as major PPV draws.
That’s one half of the tidal wave approaching Zuffa HQ. Here’s the other: The UFC’s older stars have retired or are going to retire in the near future. Chuck Liddell is gone. Tito Ortiz is gone. Brock Lesnar (say what you will about his skill-level, the man could still part people with their cash) is gone. BJ Penn is gone. GSP is 32 and retirement may be looming for him. Anderson Silva is on the anchor leg of his career at the age of 38, and is about to face a very real threat in Chris Weidman.
What happens when all the UFC has left is Chris Weidmans, TJ Grants, and Ben Hendersons — fighters who casual fans don’t care about and who the average Joe doesn’t have a clue about?
Again, that’s not to slight any of these guys — they’ve turned physically destroying another human being into an art form. No, the blame lies with Zuffa; they’ve failed to turn the next generation of talent into superstars.
As of right now, the only two young fighters who have potential to be big draws are Jon Jones and Ronda Rousey. With only one PPV (earning 450,000 buys), it’s tough to definitively say if Rousey will be a massive draw going forward. She certainly garners mainstream media interest, but whether that’s solely due to the novelty of a female in the UFC can’t be determined yet.
Jones has performed well enough but hasn’t come close to the mythical “one million buys” mark that Lesnar, Liddell, and Ortiz have hit, and that GSP, Silva and Penn have come close to.
The UFC can’t remain “the fastest growing sport in the world” when a fighter who can only draw a max of 700,000 buys (for a match that was being hyped as a can’t-miss blood feud) is the foundation of their company.
Winter is coming for the UFC. Their old, dependable draws will one day be no more, and if the current course of events continues, there won’t be enough star power to replace them.
It’s official, Nation: Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua WILL headline UFC on FOX Sports 1:1, a.k.a “the best television card the UFC has ever done.” While at first glance, a fight between two guys coming off losses doesn’t seem like a great main event for a card this stacked (and makes you wonder if the UFC had a planned main event to begin with), it’s surely a matchup that fans can get excited about nonetheless. And if they aren’t, Sonnen will fondle every available Sportscenter anchor within a 500 mile radius to ensure that you are at least aware that the fight is going down.
The matchup was all but a done deal for next weekend’s UFC 161 card until visa issues forced Sonnen to bow out of the fight he had — like a true American Gangster — offered to take on short notice just days ago. Rua was thusly pulled from the card altogether, but hinted that a potential showdown with Sonnen could take place over the summer.
It’s official, Nation: Chael Sonnen vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua WILL headline UFC on FOX Sports 1:1, a.k.a “the best television card the UFC has ever done.” While at first glance, a fight between two guys coming off losses doesn’t seem like a great main event for a card this stacked (and makes you wonder if the UFC had a planned main event to begin with), it’s surely a matchup that fans can get excited about nonetheless. And if they aren’t, Sonnen will fondle every available Sportscenter anchor within a 500 mile radius to ensure that you are at least aware that the fight is going down.
The matchup was all but a done deal for next weekend’s UFC 161 card until visa issues forced Sonnen to bow out of the fight he had — like a true American Gangster – offered to take on short notice just days ago. Rua was thusly pulled from the card altogether, but hinted that a potential showdown with Sonnen could take place over the summer.
Speaking of the FS 1:1 card, the lightweight title fight between T.J Grant and Ben Henderson — which was also rumored for the Boston card — has been announced as the headliner for UFC 164. Featuring a heavyweight showdown between Josh Barnett and Frank Mir, as well as a pair of interesting featherweight bouts in Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida and Dustin Poirier vs. Eric Koch, UFC 164 goes down in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 31st, making it the fourth UFC event to transpire in the month of August. This is normally where we’d accuse the UFC of spreading itself too thin, but with cards like these, we’ll just keep our trap shut for the time being.
And finally, it has recently been announced that TUF 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum — like Jonathan Brookins, John Dodson, Mac Danzig, and a slew of TUF winners before him — will be dropping down a weight class for his first post-TUF fight. Gastelum will meet Paulo Thiago in a welterweight contest at UFC on FOX Sports 1: Kampmann vs. Conditon, you guessed it, August 28th in Indianapolis. Sheesh, looks like I’ll be working weekends in the near future.
It’s a fight that Anthony Pettis has wanted for the past two years, and now he’s finally getting his crack at the UFC lightweight title.
