As reported by MMAJunkie.com, Clay “The Carpenter” Guida and Ben “Smooth” Henderson have expressed an interest in facing one another on Nov. 12’s UFC on FOX 1.
Though John Fosco and Malki Kawa, Guida’s and Henderson’s managers, respectively, believe their clients have each done enough to warrant the next Lightweight title shot, they welcome the opportunity to have the fighters make their case on network television.
The question is, does this fight make sense, not only for fans, but for the UFC?
Let’s take this one point at a time:
Guida vs. Henderson is a meaningful fight
The UFC Lightweight division is currently a jumbled mess. Anthony Pettis defeated Ben Henderson to become the final WEC Lightweight champ, with a guarantee to fight the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125.
Edgar and Maynard fought to a thrilling draw, causing Dana White to immediately announce a rematch.
Rather than stay on the sidelines, Pettis decided to stay active and accepted a fight against Guida, losing in a one-sided decision and becoming Guida’s fourth straight victim.
Meanwhile, Jim Miller quietly put together a seven-fight win streak against solid competition and positioned himself as a legitimate Lightweight contender. Henderson won his UFC debut against a game Mark Bocek, and was then given a significant challenge in Miller, who he completely dismantled.
Get all that?
A fight between Guida and Henderson would pit “the guy who beat the guy” against “the guy who beat the other guy,” thus clearing up the current Lightweight imbroglio. The winner would clearly deserve a title shot against the eventual winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3.
Guida and Henderson are both marketable fighters
There are few fighters in the UFC as likable as Clay Guida and Ben Henderson.
Guida is the ultimate workhorse, a non-stop whirlwind with a never-say-die attitude and a tenacious in-your-face style. He literally lives in a van by the river while he trains, and pays homage to his blue-collar background with his nickname, “The Carpenter.”
Ben Henderson is equal parts tenacity, energy and humility. He embarks into arenas bouncing to gospel music, is an absolute pitbull in the cage, and after winning the biggest fight of his career, drops to his knees and begs Dana White, not to give him a title shot, but to give his lesser-known teammates a shot at the big time.
And, oh yeah…did I forget to mention that they both have manes of hair that a Pantene model would kill for?
If the UFC and FOX can’t market these guys during episodes of House, then we should all probably just pack our bags and go home. Though they don’t have the name recognition of a Brock Lesnar or Georges St. Pierre, they are certainly compelling characters that can draw in a viewer.
Guida vs. Henderson is something a true fight fan can look forward to
Last, but certainly not least, this would not only be an important and marketable fight, it would be a good fight.
This would be a great stylistic match up—both fighters have relentless wrestling, each averaging over 4 takedowns per 15 minutes, and both are active strikers, on their feet, and on the ground. Say what you want about wrestling in MMA, neither Guida nor Henderson can be accused of “laying and praying.”
Though Henderson is the better striker, Guida is incredibly durable and has never been knocked out. Likewise, Guida has won by submission 15 times out of 29 wins, but Henderson has only been submitted once thanks to his Gumby-like limbs and seemingly nonexistent veins.
Pitting two active, pressure fighters against one another will make for a sure-fire thriller. Wherever this fight may go, on the ground, to the clinch, or at a distance on their feet, Guida and Henderson are guaranteed to go for each other’s throats at 100 mph for 15 straight minutes.
Clay Guida vs. Ben Henderson is a must-make fight for UFC on FOX 1.
Dana White and Joe Silva can’t pass up the opportunity to make this meaningful, compelling fight between marketable and well-matched fighters.
It is a perfect way to drum up future PPV interest for a championship fight against the winner of Edgar vs. Maynard 3, and is sure to please casual and hardcore fans alike.
I’ll leave my fight prediction for a later date, but no matter the outcome, both fans and the UFC are guaranteed to win.
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