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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
New UFC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson made some comments this week regarding the last man to beat him, Anthony Pettis. Henderson essentially said that there are others in line for a title shot ahead of Pettis, and that he should have a couple more fights before the two of them square off again.
Those comments haven't sat well with Pettis, and he's taking it personally that the man he defeated just 14 months ago sees him as a fighter not on his level.
"He's heard some stuff that Ben Henderson has said in the last couple days that really got under his skin," Pettis' manager Mike Roberts said in an interview with Ariel Helwani at MMAFighting.com. "Ben has said some things basically implying that Anthony is beneath him and he has to do all this stuff to work his way back to a title shot. He keeps referring to him like, 'I see you. You're doing big things. One day…' And Anthony's like, 'Wait a minute. I just beat you over a year ago. I put your face on ESPN for a year and you're talking like you're so much ahead of me.' It got under Anthony's skin a little bit."
"Anthony was thinking, 'Ben should want this rematch more than anything.' He said if he would've lost like that, he would've wanted it. He's perturbed because he just keeps implying that Anthony is so much beneath him. He respects the fact that he won the belt and Anthony was glad that he won the fight, but he's a little perturbed that Ben keeps talking like Anthony is so far beneath him."
Penick's Analysis: Henderson has made positive comments on Pettis' skills in the wake of both of their victories at UFC 144 last weekend, but in saying there's a line that Pettis isn't at the front of, he is essentially saying "he doesn't deserve the fight yet." Because Pettis already beat Henderson, it's reasonable for a comment like that to not be taken well. However, that line of thinking could bring even more interest into their rematch, as adding a personal issue to the proceedings for Pettis gives the UFC another angle to sell the fight. I think ultimately the fight we'll see next is Henderson-Pettis II, and Henderson has made it clear he'll take on anyone the UFC wants him to fight, but in making the comments he made, it's definitely easy to see why Pettis would take it the way he has.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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