Around this time last year fans had basically forgotten about former WEC lightweight champion Benson Henderson, relegating him to the back-burner after an off-the-wall kick sealed his defeat in the last ever WEC event.
The only question on everyone’s mind was: When will Anthony Pettis face Frankie Edgar?
An understandable inquiry, seeing as how Pettis took the WEC crown from Henderson in December of 2010 and was promised a shot at the winner of Edgar versus Gray Maynard II. However, that battle ended in a draw with a third and final matchup waiting in the wings as both fighters took time off to recover from injuries.
As fans waited for the trilogy to conclude, a restless Pettis found himself at the back of the contenders’ line after suffering a unanimous decision loss to Clay Guida in June. The win added Guida’s name to the growing list of top contenders who were vying for a shot at the belt, including the likes of Melvin Guillard, Donald Cerrone and Jim Miller.
Quietly Henderson made his way up the ladder, easily dispatching of Mark Bocek in April and then snapping Miller’s seven-fight win streak in August. With one contender out of the way, Henderson, with a little help from Joe Lauzon who tapped out Guillard in October, put himself in perfect position to become the next challenger at 155.
All that remained in his way was Guida, a formidable wrestler who was just as hungry for a title shot as Henderson and owned a win over Pettis, the last fighter to beat him. Taking Fight of the Night honors at UFC on FOX 1, Henderson proved once again why fans shouldn’t underestimate him, going toe-to-toe with Guida in an action-packed matchup. Emphatically Henderson took the unanimous decision, thrusting his name back into the spotlight.
Now on the verge of facing Edgar at UFC 144 in Japan next month, it’s hard to see the Benson Henderson train derailing anytime soon.
2012 will be a huge year for the former champion, especially if he can defeat Edgar and take the lightweight crown. Henderson can match Edgar’s explosiveness and has solid takedown defense that has baffled the likes of Guida, Miller and other wrestlers and grapplers in the past. His striking and jiu-jitsu are on par with the champion and should make for another great fight.
While other lightweight contenders were getting wins over respectable, yet not upper-echelon competition, Henderson took out arguably the top two lightweights in the world who were not named Frankie Edgar or Gray Maynard. Henderson has the experience and the talent to take on whoever the UFC gives him.
Possible future challengers could include the surging Nate Diaz and Joe Lauzon, both of whom could be on track for a title shot if they can string together a couple more wins.
Another interesting matchup would be Pettis, who’s closer to a title shot than people give him credit for. A rematch between these two fighters, this time inside the Octagon, would make for a very exciting bout.
Regardless of who the next lightweight challenger is, Henderson has to defeat Edgar first, a feat easier said than done. But with Henderson’s experience, athleticism and technique, taking the title is definitely within his grasp and should set up a very nice year for “Smooth.”
Matt Juul is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com