Two former UFC lightweight champions will square off one more time only this time it’s at Karate Combat 43 on Dec. 15 at the World Trade Market in Las Vegas, NV.
News of the bout was first reported by MMA Fighting.
The two former champions will headline the event in a 170-pound bout.
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The pair will complete a trilogy of sorts following long and respected careers in MMA. Henderson and Pettis first met at WEC 53 in 2010 where Pettis took the WEC lightweight title away in the famed “Showtime Kick” fight. The kick continues to be part of the UFC’s promo package.
As fate would have it both men would make their way to the UFC where Pettis would challenge, and take, the UFC lightweight title from Henderson at UFC 164 just three years later.
Henderson (30-12 MMA) went off to Bellator as one of the first UFC fighters arguably in their prime to make the move to a competing promotion. He had mixed results, but ended up with an 8-7 record with Bellator before calling it a career following his loss to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292.
Pettis (25-14 MMA) meanwhile made the move to the Professional Fighter’s League in 2021 and ended up going 1-4 in the promotion before taking a boxing match with Roy Jones Jr which he won by majority decision.
While the rest of the Karate Combat 43 card isn’t complete as of this post reports say that the likes of Luke Rockhold, Jose Aldo, Lyoto Machida, Michael “Venom” Page and Darren Till have shown interest in taking part in the event.
