Over a decade after 'Showtime Kick,' Anthony Pettis set to face Benson Henderson at Karate Combat 43

Anthony Pettis and Benson Henderson are set to face off for the third time as they clash at Karate Combat 43 in December. The pair previously clashed at WEC 53 all the way back in 2010 when the former debuted his famous 'Showtime Kick' en route to capturing the WEC lightweight title via unanimous decision. The bout marked the final event in World Extreme Cagefighting history before the company merged with the UFC.

Pettis and Henderson eventually rematched at UFC 164 nearly three years later. By that point, 'Smooth' had captured the UFC lightweight title and was on a seven-fight win streak, which included three title defenses. 'Showtime' once again got the better of him, however, winning the bout via a first-round armbar submission.

Anthony Pettis would defend the belt one time before losing it to Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 185. He remained in the promotion through 2020 before leaving to join PFL, where he compiled a 1-4 record.

All in all, he holds a professional mixed martial arts record of 25-14. Pettis has 11 victories via knockout, eight victories via submission, and six victories via decision. He has been knocked out twice, submitted three times, and lost via decision nine times.

Benson Henderson's run in the UFC ended in 2015, and he has spent the past eight years competing in Bellator, where he holds a 7-7 record. He has fought for a title three times, twice at lightweight and once at welterweight, including in his most recent bout at Bellator 292 earlier this year, where he lost to Usman Nurmagomedov via first-round submission.

He has a professional mixed martial arts record of 30-12. Henderson has won five bouts via knockout, nine bouts via submission, and 16 bouts via decision. He has been knocked out twice, submitted three times, and lost via decision seven times.

---

What did Anthony Pettis say about his Karate Combat debut?

Anthony Pettis has not competed in mixed martial arts in over a year. 'Showtime' is excited to make his return, however, stating:

"I am excited to announce my next endeavor with the Karate Combat family. I am returning to my traditional martial arts roots for this one. I am the most complete and exciting striker in martial arts and I will show the world where my expertise in MMA comes from. I want to help grow this sport and I can’t wait to put on a show for this organization. It’s Showtime!" [h/t MMA Fighting]

He also took to Instagram, claiming that he received the biggest contract in promotional history, stating:

"Biggest contract in @karatecombat history 💰💪🏽 🥋 This time we will Headline Karate Combat 43 December 15th in Las Vegas #prizefighter"

Check out Anthony Pettis' Instagram post below: