In combat sports, promotions are always looking to create the best fights, fights that will not only put on a show for the fans, but make the organization money as well. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has begun to embrace that idea to with some of its matchmaking during the last few months. And a recent injury to a youthful and highly-touted fighter has created an opening for them to do so again; hopefully the promotion will not give in this time around.
Benson Henderson is the reigning lightweight champion and is looking towards his next challenger. T.J. Grant earned that opportunity by dispatching Gray Maynard with a vicious knockout at UFC 160 back in May. Henderson and Grant have prepared themselves to meet on August 31 at UFC 164. And while the mainstream sports community may not get excited about the matchup, it does have a level of intrigue that has increased its value amongst the hardcore fan base. Yet the story isn’t that easy.
Enter Anthony Pettis. You should remember him as the last man to defeat Henderson, and even more so because of the “Showtime Kick” that he used to do it nearly three years ago. The 26-year-old fighter has continued to improve, and many feel that he should be the top contender to Henderson’s belt.
However, Pettis may have shot himself in the foot when he volunteered to move down to 145 to fight Jose Aldo for the featherweight title, rather than wait out his opportunity to get a shot at 155. The fight community was excited about the potential fight, but the injury bug hit, as it so often does, forcing Pettis out of his fight against the dominating Brazilian champion. That should be the end of the story but it’s not.
Now Pettis is raising his voice in an effort to supplant Grant and take his shot at UFC 164. While Pettis may have been “screwed” out of a UFC title shot when he was brought over from WEC, due to Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard’s pair of championship battles, that is completely different that what he is trying to do now. UFC 164 is planned to occur in Milwaukee, which is Pettis’s hometown, and that would draw much more attention to the fight than the mostly unknown Grant would. UFC President Dana White has responded to questions about Pettis by stating that the contender will not be able to take the fight because of the time he will be on the shelf recovering from the knee injury that pulled him out of the contest with Aldo. Yet that hasn’t stopped Pettis, who was recently flown out to Las Vegas for a second opinion. If that opinion ends up being positive news for “Showtime,” Grant should be worried about losing the title opportunity that he has earned.
This situation draws a stunning parallel to what happened to Carlos Condit as he awaited his title shot against Georges St. Pierre. Instead of giving the shot to Condit, who many felt had earned the bout, the UFC placed Nick Diaz into the title fight with “Rush.” Though Diaz would eventually be pulled from the fight, this shows that the organization doesn’t have any problem removing fighters to set up what it believes to be a bigger payday.
Still, Grant is more deserving of this title fight than Pettis. Looking at the two fighters’ resumes, Grant has been more active and more successful in the UFC’s lightweight division. Pettis was moved over from WEC and competed in the Octagon for the first time in June of 2011. He’s fought four times and earned a 3-1 record, with stoppage victories over Joe Lauzon and Donald Cerrone. The decision win against Jeremy Stephens was very close, and could have gone either way, as was his decision loss to Clay Guida. Grant, on the other hand, has been fighting as a lightweight for a shorter amount of calendar time, but has already disposed of five opponents. Not only that, but he has stopped three of them, including his last two via knockout. His victories over Gray Maynard, Matt Wiman, Evan Dunham, Carlo Prater, and Shane Roller carry more weight than the three that Pettis has earned.
Unfortunately for him, he may still find himself pulled from a fight he has rightfully earned. And while a Henderson-Pettis rematch should draw a lot of eyeballs, that doesn’t mean it would be more exciting than Henderson-Grant, the fight that means more to hardcore mixed martial arts fans. Pettis may be flashy, and he may be outspoken, and his history with Henderson may be something the UFC can promote. But Pettis gave up his spot to chase gold, and T.J. Grant secured it. “Showtime” needs to claim the spot next in line, but just to be sure, from now until August 31, Grant should watch his back.
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UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis II is due to take place on August 31, 2013 at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
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