Tag: Ben Henderson

WEC Champ Ben Henderson: ‘I’ll Fight Anyone on the Planet at 155 Right Now’

Filed under: UFC, FanHouse Exclusive, interview A voracious reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels, WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is currently in the midst of plowing through a a re-telling of the King Arthur myth called “King Maker,” a fitting t…

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A voracious reader of sci-fi and fantasy novels, WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is currently in the midst of plowing through a a re-telling of the King Arthur myth called “King Maker,” a fitting title for someone whose stated goal is to become the sport’s pound-for-pound best.

Even a year ago, it seemed highly unlikely Henderson could reach such a level anytime soon while under the banner of the WEC. But a sudden merger paired with a crack at the UFC lightweight champion for the winner of Thursday’s WEC title match between champ Henderson and No. 1 contender Anthony Pettis puts him two wins away from likely adding his name to the pound-for-pound list.

The first obstacle will be at WEC 53, with Henderson and Pettis closing out the last show in organizational history, but the ultimate goal remains somewhere in the back of his mind.

Henderson-Pettis Winner to Become UFC Lightweight No. 1 Contender

Filed under: UFC, NewsBen Henderson and Anthony Pettis will have the honor of shutting off the lights behind them when they face off in the last match in WEC history later this year.

But their WEC 53 main event matchup will be more than just an answer…

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Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis will have the honor of shutting off the lights behind them when they face off in the last match in WEC history later this year.

But their WEC 53 main event matchup will be more than just an answer to a trivia question; it will also determine the No. 1 contender to the UFC lightweight championship.

That’s the word according to UFC president Dana White, who told reporters of the plan during a conference call to formally announce the UFC-WEC merger.

UFC-WEC Merger Gives Lighter Weight Fighters Chance on Big League Stage

Filed under: UFC, WECOver a year ago, I sat in a Dallas hotel lobby with Ben Henderson telling me of his goal to be considered the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet. He is a polite, well-spoken young man, and he said this in the m…

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Over a year ago, I sat in a Dallas hotel lobby with Ben Henderson telling me of his goal to be considered the best pound-for-pound mixed martial artist on the planet. He is a polite, well-spoken young man, and he said this in the most humble way you could imagine.

I smiled at his ambition but I also quietly wondered to myself, How would this talented young athlete accomplish such a goal in the WEC when everybody knew it was, well, not the UFC. Henderson went on to capture the WEC lightweight championship but he’s made barely a dent in the lightweight world top 10.

Henderson’s not the only guy to have big dreams in a small company. The same can be said for Jose Aldo, Urijah Faber, Dominick Cruz and more. But with the news of the the UFC-WEC merger, opportunity abounds for everyone.

A simple change of three letters and a logo will tilt the MMA landscape further in Zuffa’s favor and change the fortunes of lower weight-class fighters across the world.

The Big Announcement: UFC Absorbs WEC, Featherweights/Bantamweights Debut in January

(Props: MMAFighting)
The cat’s out of the bag, and the "major announcement" turned out to be pretty damn major after all. Dana White announced during a media call today that the UFC is absorbing the WEC beginning in January 2011; the UFC…

(Props: MMAFighting)

The cat’s out of the bag, and the "major announcement" turned out to be pretty damn major after all. Dana White announced during a media call today that the UFC is absorbing the WEC beginning in January 2011; the UFC will now feature seven championship weight classes. Here’s how it’ll work…

– Jose Aldo is automatically the UFC Featherweight Champion; he’ll defend his UFC featherweight title at UFC 125 on January 1st against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.

– WEC 53 (December 16th; Glendale, Arizona) will be the final WEC event. The winner of the bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Scott Jorgensen will become the UFC Bantamweight Champion. The winner of the lightweight title fight between Ben Henderson and Anthony Pettis will automatically face the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard at UFC 125.

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CagePotato Comments of the Week: Sittin’ Sidewayz

Bang-up job in the comments section this week, Potato Nation. You’ve inspired us to give away some t-shirts — but whose smart-ass contributions are worthy of being rewarded? Well…
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Garrett Morris Heard of Hearing Deaf SNL Saturday Night Live Chevy Chase Weekend Update

Bang-up job in the comments section this week, Potato Nation. You’ve inspired us to give away some t-shirts — but whose smart-ass contributions are worthy of being rewarded? Well…

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Josh Thomson Blasts Rankings in Defense of Opponent JZ Cavalcante

Filed under: StrikeforceWith Nick Diaz and KJ Noons less than five feet apart, separated by only Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker during Thursday’s press conference, it would have seemed a safe bet that the verbal fireworks would come courtesy of the bitter…

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With Nick Diaz and KJ Noons less than five feet apart, separated by only Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker during Thursday’s press conference, it would have seemed a safe bet that the verbal fireworks would come courtesy of the bitter rivals.

Instead, the two avoided anything close to enmity. In the absence of the expected scene, it was former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson who stole the show, blasting the media for its lightweight rankings. Interestingly, Thomson wasn’t defending his own placement on the list, but rather that of his Saturday night opponent, Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante, who is 15-3 with one no contest in his career.

Though Cavalcante’s lost two of his last three, Thomson believes he is among the top lightweights in the world, saying “he should be ranked in the top five.” But Thomson was just getting started, eventually taking aim at the WEC 155-pound champ, Ben Henderson.