Ben Henderson, who challenges Frankie Edgar for his lightweight championship in the UFC 144 headliner on Saturday in Japan, has lost one time in his past 14 outings. His unanimous decision defeat to Anthony Pettis at WEC 53 in December 2010 was punctuated by one of the most spectacular maneuvers in mixed martial arts history, as Pettis used the cage as a slingshot and delivered his famous “Showtime Kick” for a fight-altering fifth-round knockdown. During a pre-fight teleconference for UFC 144, Henderson admitted the setback still stings, reaffirmed his belief that he will dethrone Edgar and pointed briefly to the future, where he foresees and opportunity for revenge:
“I definitely want to avenge my loss. I kind of have a soft spot in my heart for that loss. Anthony’s a tough, tough guy, great worker. I can’t say enough about him. Goes big or goes home. I’m sure he’ll work his way to the top. I know he’s been working on his wrestling, been busting his butt. I imagine I will be seeing him again in not too long, so, whenever he gets a shot for my belt, let’s do it.”