Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua met in the center of the Octagon for what would go down as arguably the greatest fight in the history of mixed martial arts.
Those in attendance in San Jose were about to witness history in the making as the first of five rounds was under way.
It was Henderson who stole control early as he had Shogun on the ropes from a series of right jabs and uppercuts.
But, somehow, some way, Rua survived as the battle continued into the second frame.
Once again it was Henderson who dominated by teeing off on his opponent and connecting to nearly every part of Rua’s body.
The fight got even more out of hand when Henderson throttled Shogun, but Rua continued to wear his heart on his sleeve.
Mouths dropped when Round 4 began as it was Rua who began to pummel Henderson.
The tides had turned as it was Henderson who was now fighting for his life.
Rua’s dominance continued into the fifth and final round as the world couldn’t believe their eyes.
Henderson survived the final round and awaited a decision from the judge’s scorecards.
The final verdict read 48-47, 48-47, 48-47 declaring Henderson the victor.
But, despite Rua coming up short, he will forever be remembered for what could very well be the greatest fight of all time.
Many fans across the globe began comparing UFC 139’s main event to that of Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar I at the Ultimate Fighter Season 1 Finale in April of 2005.
But they shouldn’t.
Henderson and Rua’s bout was the greatest fight of all time.
While similar in excitement, it was Henderson and Rua who battled not just three rounds but five in a non-championship bout.
And, it’s likely that a man was never as close to the jaws of defeat as was Rua in the third round of action.
But not only did he survive, he bounced back to outstrike Henderson 96-77.
Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was the greatest fight of all time, even better than Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar.
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