Benson Henderson Looking Forward to Getting His Hands on Anthony Pettis

After a bizarre series of card changes, former WEC lightweight champions Benson Henderson and Anthony Pettis will face off in the Octagon to crown the best 155-pounder on the planet.

Pettis was scheduled to fight Jose Aldo at UFC 163 for the featherweight title but was forced out after sustaining an injury. Upon learning of his recovery time, Pettis sought to replace T.J. Grant in the UFC 164 main event in which Grant was fighting Henderson for the lightweight belt.

Grant, although upset by Pettis’ campaign to replace him, held on to his title shot and continued his camp. Then injury struck again, knocking Grant from his title fight with a concussion, sustained during training, leaving the door wide open for Pettis to walk through, and be given his long-awaited title shot that was supposed to take place in 2011.

Pettis is surely excited to get his shot at the title and try to defeat a man who he has beaten once before.

UFC champion, Benson Henderson knows this all to well and says that he also can’t wait to get in the Octagon across from Pettis and to get his hands on him:

“At some point in time, I knew we were gonna dance again. I was gonna be able to get my hands on Anthony,” Henderson said during an interview with Inside MMA. “Turns out, I’m gonna get my hands on him a little sooner than I thought.

As for Henderson’s original opponent, T.J. Grant, ‘Bendo’ says that once he defeats Pettis, he is willing to let Grant fight for the title as originally planned:

“Looks like I got Anthony next. Gonna get my hands on him, after that it’ll be TJ.”

Henderson wasn’t short on words as he talked his anticipation levels for getting in the cage to fight Pettis:

“I’ve definitely been waiting to get my hands on Pettis again,” said Henderson. “It’s not for me to say this guy earned that. You’ve got to earn way to a title shot.”

UFC 164 takes place on August 31st at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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