(Exclusive): Former UFC champ Anthony Pettis sheds light on how KC 43 headliner against Benson Henderson "came out of nowhere"

The former UFC star, Anthony Pettis, recently shed light on how tonight's Karate Combat 43 headliner against old foe Benson Henderson came together.

After competing twice in MMA, the former UFC and WEC lightweight champions will now take their rivalry to the pit as they make their KC debuts. During an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, 'Showtime' mentioned that he had been focusing on boxing and the trilogy against 'Smooth' wasn't something he had anticipated.

Pettis said:

"It kinda just came out of nowhere really... I got a phone call from a mutual friend of the president of Karate Combat, Asim..they said the city, obviously it's Las Vegas, I'm like, 'I don't even need to travel anywhere.' They said the opponent [Benson Henderson], and the purse lined up exactly with what I was looking for, so it just made sense."

The duo fought against each other in two title fights during their MMA career, with 'Showtime' dethroning him on both occasions. The 40-year-old will be looking to avenge his previous losses, while the 36-year-old will look to complete his clean sweep in all competitions.

It will be interesting to see what transpires when Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson renew their rivalry at KC 43 and whether there could be a fourth bout should the Arizonan emerge victorious.

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Anthony Pettis opens up about his preparations for competing in the Karate Combat pit

Anthony Pettis has electrified fans by showcasing his creativity and flashy striking throughout his MMA career. He could add another highlight-reel moment when he fights Benson Henderson in the main event of KC 43.

During the aforementioned interview, the Wisconsin-born fighter opened up about his preparations for competing in the Karate Combat pit for the first time. He mentioned that he is excited to compete in the pit and will attempt to take advantage of the environment, saying:

"The biggest difference I would say is like, the actual shape of the pit, but it also allows me to run up that thing, bro, because coming off a vertical wall is way harder than coming off of a slant. So yeah, I'm excited to go out there and see what I could do with that thing." [5:44 - 5:58]

Check out the full interview below: