5 of the best lightweight fights in MMA history
5. Benson Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis for the WEC lightweight title at WEC 53
The final fight in the history of World Extreme Cagefighting before the merger with the UFC, the last title fight in the history of the promotion would turn out to be one of the greatest the company ever produced. WEC matchmakers knew exactly the type of clash they’d get when they matched up two of the most popular fighters in their entire roster.
Benson Henderson was coming into the fight with a 12-1 record as the WEC lightweight champion. He was heading into his fourth straight title fight and would just need to pull off one more win to get a title shot in the UFC once the companies merged.
His opponent had other plans completely. Anthony ‘Showtime’ Pettis was just 23 years old when he had his first world title fight but he seemed to possess all the ingredients to become a champion. The swagger, the highlight reel knockouts, and a deadly submission game made Pettis a perfect contender for the UFC.
With animosity building up for well over a year, it was finally time for the two to square off yet what we saw was not an all-out war but rather a respectful approach from both men. The first round saw them both tentative to engage before Henderson landed a takedown to steal the round. The second saw the pace start to pick up with a huge right hand from Pettis that floored Henderson, although the champion was quick to get up.
Pettis managed to backpack Henderson for the whole third but without really threatening too many submissions or a finish. The fourth sees much of the same but with Henderson leading the dance, almost finishing Pettis after a combination dropped him, leading to a feeble submission attempt from the champion. With the fight heading into the final round, all squared at two rounds apiece, somebody would need to do something to wow the judges.
With about a minute left, Pettis stared at the wall behind Henderson. As the champion circled out, Pettis ran towards the cage, jumped on it, and landed a devastating head kick with the same leg he used to propel himself. The birth of the ‘Showtime kick’, perhaps one of the most replayed MMA highlights ever, was here and what a time to do it. Somehow, Henderson survived but that kick was enough to give Pettis the victory and the title.
Given its significance, which is mostly that it brought some of the most memorable lightweights of all time into the UFC after the merger, it’s hard to not put this fight in the top five. The bout as a whole is entertaining but not spectacular, which is why it fails to be higher up the list, but the ‘Showtime kick’ is easily the most shareable MMA clip in the history of the sport. It completely defies logic and most likely turned many people into MMA fans.