Author: Karlo Silverio III Sevilla

Did Benson “Smooth” Henderson’s dethronement of Frankie Edgar as UFC lightweight champion in UFC 144 set a new precedent on how future UFC fights will be judged, giving more bearing to effective striking than frequency of takedowns?

According to FightMetric statisticians, Henderson was the more active and lethal striker (and it showed on his opponent’s face), while Edgar was significantly more effective in the takedown department.

Throughout the fight, Henderson landed more strikes in quantity and quality. On the other hand, Edgar, though no slouch in striking, was more successful in landing takedowns.

In every round, except in the third where both fighters were equal with one takedown apiece, Edgar had the edge. More so, adding up all the takedowns, Edgar collected a total of five successful attempts compared to Bendo’s one!

And Edgar was even more aggressive in that third round in the takedown department, with four attempts to Bendo’s uno. We can argue, though, that the newly-crowned champion was more efficient with a 1:1 ratio.

In short, if takedowns alone were and are the basis for winning a decision in UFC, then Edgar would’ve retained his title hands down.

But more often than not, an effective strike does more damage than a consummated takedown—and the discrepancy is pronouncedly huge.

How many times has a takedown per se finished a fight?

True, there was Frank Shamrock’s iconic first-round double-leg lift and slam that triumphantly brought his title defense versus Igor Zinoviev to a quick ending—along with the latter’s fighting career.

And in Pride FC, Mark Coleman took down Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, breaking the Brazilian’s arm as punishment for “forgetting” how to fall properly.

But let’s not get too far back in history; we already have premium examples from last Saturday’s UFC 144 itself.

Quinton Jackson did slam Ryan Bader explosively hard on the canvas, and Darth landed with his left arm twisted and seemingly dislocated. Well Bader, in that same round, proceeded to get the top position on the ground and rained strikes on Jackson—using the elbow of that very same arm.

Now compare whatever “effect” of that slam to Anthony Pettis’ head kick on Joe Lauzon…

If the three judges of the UFC 144 Championship main event did consciously give more weight to effective striking over effective takedowns, then they did the right thing. This could be their lasting legacy to the UFC and to MMA in general.

For posterity’s sake, let’s honor them by remembering their names: Jordan Breen, Freddie DeFreitas and Chris Nelson.

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UFC 144 saw Frankie “The Answer” Edgar tenaciously defend his UFC Lightweight throne against the onslaught of Benson “Smooth” Henderson— in vain. That is, as far as the judges and the official winner’s announcement are concerned.

And the telling and determinant difference could be the comparative state of facial tissues between the two fighters.

The Answer’s baby face appeared to have been bloodied by unanswered blows, while Smooth’s face appeared to have remained, well, smooth after five rounds of attrition.

It was a very close battle that could have gone either way, and in the end, it had to go one way. And that way pointed towards the UFC belt wrapping around Bendo’s girth.

The fight is now being peddled as a potential Fight of the Year awardee, and rightly so. The two men gave their all, proving that they are light only in weight class, but driven by hearts each weighing more than Quinton Jackson’s actual body weight.

It was a truly action-filled scrap, as both fighters bravely attempted to out-strike and out-grapple each other for 25 minutes of hell. How many times have we witnessed an MMA fight featuring two combatants who both try to inflict damage in every position, every second?

In the end, the warrior armed with the heavier hand—and overall body weight—won.

UFC 144 FightMetric results aside (anyone have a link to that now?), yours truly doesn’t really have a problem with Bendo as our new champion. And congratulations to him…begrudgingly.

 

 

 

I have to admit that I still fall victim to the David vs. Goliath syndrome. My heart remains biased towards the smaller guy fighting the giant, in any fight. (I also happen to share the same height with Frankie at 5 feet, 6 inches.)

 

What transpired last night was a true lightweight match, with both protagonists making the 155-pound weight limit the day before. But with the telling size discrepancy, it was very likely a lightweight versus welterweight bloody affair that we saw inside the Octagon.

In short, I was pining for Edgar. I believe that, according to my fallible perception, the defending champ did enough to eke out a victory and still reign as King David.

Just the same, the valiant Goliath Bendo delivered as much punishment as he could and remained standing. He wasn’t felled and finished off by any stone whipped from the little guy’s slingshot.

And, again, I can accept that Bendo’s win was of no stirring controversy; it was pretty close, after all.

I also remember that Carlos Condit’s face appeared a lot better-looking after he outscored Nick Diaz in UFC 143, compared to poor Edgar’s after last night.

Here’s interesting insight from Jeff Wagenheim’s Inside MMA article from Sports Illustrated:

This was no robbery. It was not even a shocking result. But it does call into question the stock a judge ought to put in the cuts and bruises on a fighter’s face, especially when that fighter shows no debilitating effect and ends up having landed more strikes, more significant strikes and a lot more takedowns. How much do you weigh those factors against a bloody nose?

…The [up-kick late in the second round] especially hurt Edgar in the eyes of the judges, as it connected high on the champ’s left cheek, just below the eye, and soon the area was purple and swollen, the eye opening barely a slit. That surely didn’t look good to the cageside observers with pencils and scorecards.

 

But The Answer had an answer to that vicious up-kick: a punch to the head that knocked Smooth down on the canvas in the fifth and final round! Still, it was no speeding stone that finished Bendo—it didn’t even leave him bloodied or bruised like the one who threw it.

Oh, well. Both fighters deserve a standing ovation from all of us for a brutal but very technical show of what MMA is all about.

And, for the umpteenth time, congrats to Bendo, our new UFC Lightweight Champion! (I’m still talking to myself.)

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