Bendo: I’m going to beat Pettis up

The UFC lightweight title will be on the line this August at UFC 164, as current champ Benson “Smooth” Henderson (19-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) will square off with challenger and hometown favorite Anthony “Showtime” Pettis (16-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in the evenings main event.

Henderson and Pettis, of course, have a history together, as “Showtime” scored a unanimous decision win over “Smooth” back in 2010 to claim the WEC 155-strap in the promotions final show. Pettis was able to land the now-infamous “Showtime Kick” on Bendo during the bouts final round, securing him the judges decision.

Since then, Benson Henderson has been on a tear inside the UFC’s octagon. “Smooth” has gone 7-0 under the Zuffa banner and in doing so, has become the UFC lightweight champion.

Pettis, of course, is no long shot. Oddsmakers have pegged the challenger, who’s fighting in his hometown, as the slight favorite in the title fight. 

Now, Henderson is anxious to erase the ‘Pettis loss’ and solidify his title by beating the only man he’s lost to in the past six years:

“It doesn’t matter to me where it’s at, who’s it against, what hometown,” Henderson said. “Bump all that noise. It doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to beat him up. At the end of the night I’m going to get my hand raised.”

Henderson sees the scenario in front of him as typical, which means there’s no such thing as a perfect situation in MMA. The switch from Grant to Pettis is a “curveball,” Henderson said, but nothing he hasn’t dealt with in the past.

UFC 164 goes down August 31st live from the The Bradley Center in Pettis’ home of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Who do you see winning the nights main event Pettis or Henderson? Let’s hear it Penn nation!