November 2015 could be a month that is remembered as a turning point for the UFC and MMA as a whole.
Yes, there were several events, but two stories will carry on into the future.
First and foremost, Ronda Rousey—the biggest star in the history of the sport and the first mixed martial artist to truly transcend the moniker of “UFC fighter”—lost to Holly Holm at UFC 193. Not only did she lose to Holm, but she was viciously knocked out.
Rousey remains a pioneer, introducing MMA to demographics that fans never expected and promoters never would have dreamed of reaching. She will likely come back to MMA and face Holm in an immediate rematch. Still, this fight changed how casual fans see Rousey and, in kind, changed how popular culture views MMA.
Second, Benson Henderson has fought out his UFC contract and intends to try his hand as a free agent in the most competitive marketplace since the heyday of Japanese MMA. While there have been noteworthy free-agent signings in 2015 already, most notably Josh Thomson and Phil Davis defecting from the UFC to Bellator, Henderson is a different animal.
Henderson, despite the skid he hit following his run as UFC lightweight champion, remains an elite-level talent at 155 pounds and could well prove to be one at 170 pounds too. Just as importantly, he is a relatively young 32 years old. That makes his free agency very interesting.
The first few days have been, in a word, hectic. According to MMA Junkie, he has reportedly received an offer from Road FC, the biggest MMA promotion in South Korea, while Bellator President Scott Coker has thrown his hat into the Henderson sweepstakes, per Sherdog (h/t Bloody Elbow). One FC will likely join in on the fun as well, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Rizin Fighting Federation floated something his way. How this ultimately shakes out could be one of the most important stories of 2016.
As usual, the rankings of each panelist are available on Twitter.