On February 26, 2012, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson met for the first time during UFC 144, and their clash was the highlight of the evening.
Henderson, playing the role of the challenger, was able to hand Edgar the second loss of his career in a unanimous decision and the match was declared as the Fight of the Night.
The consensus among the judges and overall feeling from the fans supports the belief that Henderson was visibly the more dominant fighter throughout the match and a clear winner, but Edgar is a fierce competitor and was given credit for his ability to stay in the fight.
As a result, a rematch was inevitable and the two fighters will be the highlight of UFC 150 on Saturday, August 11.
Here are several things to watch for between the two fighters.
Frankie Edgar
In 2008, Frankie Edgar suffered the first loss of his professional career after losing in a unanimous decision to Gray Maynard during UFC Fight Night.
Three years later, Edgar met Maynard again during UFC 125 and was able to redeem his loss by earning a draw. And nine months later, Edgar was able to complete his revenge with a knockout victory over Maynard during UFC 136.
It’s clear that Edgar has the necessary determination to get back on top, and it would be foolish to deny his ability to potentially upset Henderson during the rematch.
Edgar is a smaller lightweight than Henderson and is visibly less athletic, but if Henderson makes a false move and gives Edgar the upper hand, then he won’t fail to capitalize.
Edgar will need to land a devastating number of punches in order to induce fatigue, but Henderson is more powerful in that department, so a boxing match could have fatal results for Edgar.
If Edgar wants a victory, he’ll have to use his great speed and out-wrestle Henderson.
Benson Henderson
Benson Henderson is entering UFC 150 as the clear favorite over Frankie Edgar.
Henderson was able to piece together a convincing victory over Edgar earlier in the year and has been nothing short of impressive throughout his professional career with a 16-2 record.
Fight Magazine currently has Henderson ranked as the No. 1 lightweight fighter in the world, and for good reason. His powerful ground fighting makes it tough for any opponent to gain an edge.
But still, Henderson is far from invincible.
He suffered a technical submission loss to Rocky Johnson in 2007 and was able to bounce back with 10 consecutive victories, but he also lost to Anthony Pettis in a unanimous decision during WEC 53 in 2010.
He has four consecutive victories and has gone a year and a half without a loss, but he’s not dominant enough to be considered a lock.
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