UFC 164 Update!

The UFC 164 main event on 8/31 in Milwaukee is now Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis for the lightweight title in a rematch of one of the best fights of the past five years. Pettis, who is from Milwaukee, replaces T.J. Grant, who suffered a concussion training BJJ one month back, had stopped training, and when he didn’t feel his brain was ready to start back this week, which would give him six weeks of training before the title fight, he pulled out. A lot of guys would have still fought. Grant said he himself would have fought the fight on a knee injury, but not on a brain injury. Guys like him who get title shots that fall apart are never guaranteed getting another one when they recover, particularly with guys like Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson in the division. Pettis hit Henderson with the “Showtime kick,” running up the cage, springing off and nailing a back pedaling Henderson with a kick to the side of the head, which knocked Henderson down. The fight was even going into the fifth round, and while Pettis probably would have won the round either way, the kick clinched it and gave Pettis the WEC lightweight title. It was Henderson’s only loss in his last 18 fights. Well, at least only loss on his record, because he was very lucky to get decisions in fights with Frankie Edgar (the second one where I had Edgar), Gilbert Melendez (I had Melendez) and the first Donald Cerrone fight. Both have improved significantly since that fight, on December 16, 2010, in the final WEC show, held in Glendale, AZ, where Henderson lives. Now Henderson has a chance to avenge the defeat in Pettis’ home town. This was one of those occasions where a main event falling out leads to a stronger fight, at least for most of North America. Grant as challenger was clearly stronger in Canada, although I don’t know that either fight was going to do significantly different business on PPV. In theory, Pettis should sell tickets in Milwaukee going for the title in his home town. I’d think Pettis would be a stronger contender on PPV than Grant because he’s been a star longer and a lot of people know about the first fight. I think it’s just a little over a baseline fight, but we’ll see if two straight title fights on FOX have helped Henderson as a PPV draw. His lone PPV defense against Franke Edgar did not do well.