Tag: Ben Henderson

The Potato Index: UFC 164 and ‘Fight Night 28: Teixeira vs. Bader’


(“We’re not angry with you, Ryan. We’re just disappointed.” Photo via Getty.)

Since ReX was finally able to unearth the Potato Index Supercomputer from his “Rave Cave” last week — which, FYI, is just a storage bin packed to the brim with CP t-shirts, used glowsticks, regifted blenders and vintage German porno mags — we figured we might as well continue running with this outdated piece of technology for the sake of nostalgia. For CagePotato readers, if anything, are a nostalgic bunch. Stubbornly trapped in the past and all but refusing to accept change you might even go as far as to say, but I digress. In any case, here are the numbers the CP Supercomputer was able to churn out based on the results of UFC 164 and Fight Night 28.

Anthony Pettis +108 

Two promotions. Two title fights. Two clear cut victories. Not only did Pettis earn an eternal place in Ben Henderson’s nightmares with one kick during their first encounter, but now he done went and submitted him inside of 5 minutes in their second. Lock up your daughters, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life. “Showtime” is back in town and he don’t mess around.

Bendo -47

Shit happens when you start talking about beating Anderson Silva’s title defense record with 0 finishes in 7 UFC fights. We don’t mean to kick a classy guy like “Smooth” while he’s down, so for now we’ll just say that it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting another crack at the new champ anytime soon. It’s called the Koscheck Rule of Twos.


(“We’re not angry with you, Ryan. We’re just disappointed.” Photo via Getty.)

Since ReX was finally able to unearth the Potato Index Supercomputer from his “Rave Cave” last week — which, FYI, is just a storage bin packed to the brim with CP t-shirts, used glowsticks, regifted blenders and vintage German porno mags — we figured we might as well continue running with this outdated piece of technology for the sake of nostalgia. For CagePotato readers, if anything, are a nostalgic bunch. Stubbornly trapped in the past and all but refusing to accept change you might even go as far as to say, but I digress. In any case, here are the numbers the CP Supercomputer was able to churn out based on the results of UFC 164 and Fight Night 28.

Anthony Pettis +108 

Two promotions. Two title fights. Two clear cut victories. Not only did Pettis earn an eternal place in Ben Henderson’s nightmares with one kick during their first encounter, but now he done went and submitted him inside of 5 minutes in their second. Lock up your daughters, lock up your wife, lock up your back door and run for your life. “Showtime” is back in town and he don’t mess around.

Bendo -47

Shit happens when you start talking about beating Anderson Silva’s title defense record with 0 finishes in 7 UFC fights. We don’t mean to kick a classy guy like “Smooth” while he’s down, so for now we’ll just say that it doesn’t look like he’ll be getting another crack at the new champ anytime soon. It’s called the Koscheck Rule of Twos.

Josh Barnett +33

Regardless of whether or not his thrashing of Frank Mir could have gone on a little longer, “The Warmaster” made a huge statement in his return bout nonetheless. Perhaps a fight with Travis Browne is on the horizon? Indubitably, you guys. Now will someone give the poor bastard a lift to the bus stop? He’s got these cheeseburgers, man…

Frank Mir -86

He may still be an elite heavyweight by most standards, but ol’ Franky boy is a couple more beatdowns away from never being able to play Jenga with his kids again.

Chad Mendes +45

Fighting Clay Guida is like trying to wrangle a chicken in an amusement park while wearing a blindfold. Finishing the Energizer Blanket is even tougher. Clearly, smoking weed and watching fight videos with Duane Ludwig is paying off in spades for Team Alpha Male. But if we have to hear Chad talk about that dude in the bushes on the back of his twenties ONE MORE TIME.

Clay Guida -20

Another tough break for the UFC’s hardest working and hardest playing star doesn’t do much for Guida’s stock. He’s a tough son of a bitch, that’s for sure, and a guy who will probably never become a champion or even an outright contender while still remaining a legitimate threat to those who are. Not much else to say, really.

Ben Rothwell (on TRT) +71

+11 for chasing Brandon Vera around for two and a half rounds, +60 for the sweet ass dance moves that kickstarted his finishing flurry.

Brandon Vera -45

We don’t know if we’ve ever seen a fighter as visibly confused as Brandon Vera was in the moments before Rothwell uncorked that beating on him in the third round. Unless you count Brandon Vera in the moments after Shogun Rua uncorked that beating on him in the fourth round last year. Welcome to No Man’s Land, Brandon. The summers are nice but the employment opportunities are somewhat scarce.

Dustin Poirier +28

Another fantastic fight punctuated with violent exchanges is in the books for “Diamond,” who is quickly becoming one of the most exciting fighters at 145. At just 24 years old, he’s got a long UFC career ahead of him.

Erik Koch -13

Can you believe that this guy was slated to face Jose Aldo at one point? What a slaughter that would’ve been.

Click on the “next page” tab for a by-the-numbers breakdown of yesterday’s Fight Night event…

Gamblers Beware: Anthony Pettis Currently Listed As a Slight Favorite Over Ben Henderson

(I mean, I *guess* pulling this off could be considered an advantage. I guess.)

This might not come as all that big a shock to you, but there’s been a slight shift in the UFC 163 UFC 164 odds as of late. Mainly, that of the main event featherweight lightweight title bout between Jose Aldo Ben Henderson and T.J. Grant Anthony Pettis. Despite opening as a slight favorite over the last man to defeat him when the replacement matchup was first announced, Henderson’s line has seen a significant dip over the past couple of weeks. According to BestFightOdds, Pettis is listed as high as -125 over Henderson, who is listed between -105 and -115 on various gambling sites.

So yeah, it’s not exactly breaking news. But honestly, we really wanted to use the Henderson/Pettis update as an opportunity to inform you of this weekend’s Cage Warriors 57 event, which if the odds are any indication, should feature at least *two* in-ring decapitations. In the evening’s main event, UFC/Bellator veteran Paul Daley is listed as a -1700 favorite over opponent Jimmy Pocket, a six year-old child with rickets and a pegleg who…I’m sorry, Daley will actually be fighting Lukasz Chlewicki, a 10-2 Polish fighter who we should also assume is receiving this fight as part of his final, dying wish. Because otherwise, what the fuck?

Also set to “compete” on the Cage Warriors card are Aldric Cassata and Jose Luis Zapater, currently listed as +600 underdogs to -1200 favorites Danny Roberts and Ronnie Mann, respectively. May the ghost of Keith Hackney protect those poor gentlemen. He’s dead, right?

–J. Jones


(I mean, I *guess* pulling this off could be considered an advantage. I guess.)

This might not come as all that big a shock to you, but there’s been a slight shift in the UFC 163 UFC 164 odds as of late. Mainly, that of the main event featherweight lightweight title bout between Jose Aldo Ben Henderson and T.J. Grant Anthony Pettis. Despite opening as a slight favorite over the last man to defeat him when the replacement matchup was first announced, Henderson’s line has seen a significant dip over the past couple of weeks. According to BestFightOdds, Pettis is listed as high as -125 over Henderson, who is listed between -105 and -115 on various gambling sites.

So yeah, it’s not exactly breaking news. But honestly, we really wanted to use the Henderson/Pettis update as an opportunity to inform you of this weekend’s Cage Warriors 57 event, which if the odds are any indication, should feature at least *two* in-ring decapitations. In the evening’s main event, UFC/Bellator veteran Paul Daley is listed as a -1700 favorite over opponent Jimmy Pocket, a six year-old child with rickets and a pegleg who…I’m sorry, Daley will actually be fighting Lukasz Chlewicki, a 10-2 Polish fighter who we should also assume is receiving this fight as part of his final, dying wish. Because otherwise, what the fuck?

Also set to “compete” on the Cage Warriors card are Aldric Cassata and Jose Luis Zapater, currently listed as +600 underdogs to -1200 favorites Danny Roberts and Ronnie Mann, respectively. May the ghost of Keith Hackney protect those poor gentlemen. He’s dead, right?

–J. Jones

Who Saw This Coming? T.J. Grant No Longer Guaranteed a Title Shot Upon November Return

(If you enjoy seeing someone immediately regret a decision they made on camera, it doesn’t get much better than this.)

For better or worse, we as a society have become completely incapable of accepting any information at face value. It’s why some of us simply can’t believe that, yes, if you drop your hands and clown around a little too much against a world class fighter, you might get knocked the fuck out even if you’re Anderson Silva. It’s also why some of us simply refuse to believe that T.J. Grant was actually injured when he pulled out of his title fight with Ben Henderson, despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary.

Well, conspiracy theory or not, the concussion Grant suffered while rolling will keep him out of action until at least November. Unfortunately for Grant, his stock will have plummeted so far by the time he returns that he will likely have to fight his way back to a title shot that he will never truly receive once again. That’s UFC politics, baby — greed, get the money, dollar, dollar bill, y’all.

During an appearance on yesterday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Grant spelled out what the future had in store for him and also detailed his decision to pull out of the fight. And again, he would like you to know that it was actually his decision to make:

I’m not scared to fight anyone. If I was healthy and I knew that I could get in shape, I would’ve [tried it.]. It’s a little scary. I wanted to kind of make the best decision for myself. I want to do what’s best for me.


(If you enjoy seeing someone immediately regret a decision they made on camera, it doesn’t get much better than this.)

For better or worse, we as a society have become completely incapable of accepting any information at face value. It’s why some of us simply can’t believe that, yes, if you drop your hands and clown around a little too much against a world class fighter, you might get knocked the fuck out even if you’re Anderson Silva. It’s also why some of us simply refuse to believe that T.J. Grant was actually injured when he pulled out of his title fight with Ben Henderson, despite all the evidence pointing to the contrary.

Well, conspiracy theory or not, the concussion Grant suffered while rolling will keep him out of action until at least November. Unfortunately for Grant, his stock will have plummeted so far by the time he returns that he will likely have to fight his way back to a title shot that he will never truly receive once again. That’s UFC politics, baby — greed, get the money, dollar, dollar bill, y’all.

During an appearance on yesterday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Grant spelled out what the future had in store for him and also detailed his decision to pull out of the fight. And again, he would like you to know that it was actually his decision to make:

I’m not scared to fight anyone. If I was healthy and I knew that I could get in shape, I would’ve [tried it.]. It’s a little scary. I wanted to kind of make the best decision for myself. I want to do what’s best for me. I want to fight for a long time. I want to live a long time. I want to enjoy my baby girl and all that stuff, so I thought about it a lot and talked to the UFC doctor and all the doctors here. The decision was 100 percent mine.

Additionally, Grant told Helwani that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva “never made any promises one way or the other” in regards to whether or not he would receive a title shot upon his return. However, Silva did tell Grant that “if [his next fight] was a step back, it would only be one step back.”

Oh, T.J., you ignorant slut. Ask Dan Henderson, Rashad Evans, or Lyoto Machida what it’s like to take a step back (and that’s just one division!). One day, you’re the top dog of the office, and the next, you’re fighting for the right to stay employed. It’s kind of like working at Walmart.

–J. Jones

TJ Grant Out of UFC 164 Title Fight Against Benson Henderson, Anthony Pettis to Replace Him Just Like He Planned All Along


(Oh, don’t act so surprised. / Photo via Getty Images)

MMAJunkie has confirmed with UFC president Dana White that lightweight contender TJ Grant has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled title fight against Benson Henderson at UFC 164 (August 31st, Milwaukee).

Replacing him will be Anthony Pettis, who was previously slated to fight for Jose Aldo’s featherweight title at UFC 163, then pulled out of that fight last month due to a knee injury, and immediately started campaigning to replace TJ Grant against Bendo, despite the fact that the injury was supposed to take Pettis out of circulation for six weeks. The MMA Gods were pleased at Showtime’s audacity, and struck Grant down with an undisclosed injury. Or maybe you’re a conspiracy theorist and you believe the UFC was planning this all along. And that’s fine. I don’t pass judgment on anybody’s beliefs.

The bottom line is, Henderson is making his next title defense against the last guy to beat him, thanks in part to a legendary highlight-reel kick that haunts Henderson to this day. Now that’s a story the UFC can sell. We’ll pass along more details when we have them.


(Oh, don’t act so surprised. / Photo via Getty Images)

MMAJunkie has confirmed with UFC president Dana White that lightweight contender TJ Grant has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled title fight against Benson Henderson at UFC 164 (August 31st, Milwaukee).

Replacing him will be Anthony Pettis, who was previously slated to fight for Jose Aldo’s featherweight title at UFC 163, then pulled out of that fight last month due to a knee injury, and immediately started campaigning to replace TJ Grant against Bendo, despite the fact that the injury was supposed to take Pettis out of circulation for six weeks. The MMA Gods were pleased at Showtime’s audacity, and struck Grant down with an undisclosed injury. Or maybe you’re a conspiracy theorist and you believe the UFC was planning this all along. And that’s fine. I don’t pass judgment on anybody’s beliefs.

The bottom line is, Henderson is making his next title defense against the last guy to beat him, thanks in part to a legendary highlight-reel kick that haunts Henderson to this day. Now that’s a story the UFC can sell. We’ll pass along more details when we have them.

Anthony Pettis Out Six Weeks With Torn Meniscus, Ben Henderson Conspiracy Theory Officially Debunked


(A visibly ecstatic Grant reacts to the news.) 

Good news, Potato Nation, we can all officially put to rest the theory that Anthony Pettis was faking an injury to steal T.J. Grant’s title shot against Ben Henderson. After news detailing the extent of Pettis’ injury was first passed along by ESPN.com, Dana White recently confirmed with MMAFighting that “Showtime” will be looking at a six week layoff as a result of the knee injury that forced him out of his UFC 163 title fight with Jose Aldo. Unfortunately for us fans, our insatiable need to watch bubble-wrapped Brazilians get the living shit kicked out of them will have to be put on hold for the time being. *pushes school books off desk*

Pettis met with a UFC-approved doctor in Las Vegas who informed him that his torn meniscus injury will require him to sit out for six weeks, UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to MMAFighting.com after ESPN.com first reported it. Pettis originally believed he would return to full-strength in half that time.

The good news for Pettis is that he does not require surgery to fix his injured knee.

So there you have it. Pettis is out, Zombie and Grant are still in, and poor Ricardo Lamas continues to regret denying that Gypsy an extension on her mortgage payment.

–J. Jones


(A visibly ecstatic Grant reacts to the news.) 

Good news, Potato Nation, we can all officially put to rest the theory that Anthony Pettis was faking an injury to steal T.J. Grant’s title shot against Ben Henderson. After news detailing the extent of Pettis’ injury was first passed along by ESPN.com, Dana White recently confirmed with MMAFighting that “Showtime” will be looking at a six week layoff as a result of the knee injury that forced him out of his UFC 163 title fight with Jose Aldo. Unfortunately for us fans, our insatiable need to watch bubble-wrapped Brazilians get the living shit kicked out of them will have to be put on hold for the time being. *pushes school books off desk*

Pettis met with a UFC-approved doctor in Las Vegas who informed him that his torn meniscus injury will require him to sit out for six weeks, UFC president Dana White confirmed the news to MMAFighting.com after ESPN.com first reported it. Pettis originally believed he would return to full-strength in half that time.

The good news for Pettis is that he does not require surgery to fix his injured knee.

So there you have it. Pettis is out, Zombie and Grant are still in, and poor Ricardo Lamas continues to regret denying that Gypsy an extension on her mortgage payment.

–J. Jones

The UFC Institutes Flip-Flop Ban, Ruins Benson Henderson’s Entire Day


(Also, wearing a scarf over a t-shirt indoors will now be punishable by death. / Photo via Esther Lin for MMAFighting)

As revealed in an update on Benson Henderson’s Facebook fan page, the UFC has just instituted a dress code for its fighters that would ban shorts and require shoes during publicity and marketing appearances. Though requiring athletes to look professional in public is something that other major sports leagues already do, Henderson took the news as a personal affront to his freedom, and his easy-breezy open-toed lifestyle. Here’s what Bendo had to say:

Mwahahaha!!! Guess @ufc decided to make it official…I’m a start calling them the NBA…guess it’s one thing to be encouraged to do or dress one way & entirely another thing to be told to do or dress one way…

“Per Jackie, effective immediately, fighters and talent traveling on press tours and PR/marketing-related appearances are no longer permitted to wear shorts or flip flops. Jeans are acceptable and shoes are a must.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna dress how my employers want but doesn’t mean I gotta be happy about it…”Don’t let the man hold you down” “Fight the power” “You can take my life but you can never take my FREEDOM!!!”

(Also, wearing a scarf over a t-shirt indoors will now be punishable by death. / Photo via Esther Lin for MMAFighting)

As revealed in an update on Benson Henderson’s Facebook fan page, the UFC has just instituted a dress code for its fighters that would ban shorts and require shoes during publicity and marketing appearances. Though requiring athletes to look professional in public is something that other major sports leagues already do, Henderson took the news as a personal affront to his freedom, and his easy-breezy open-toed lifestyle. Here’s what Bendo had to say:

Mwahahaha!!! Guess @ufc decided to make it official…I’m a start calling them the NBA…guess it’s one thing to be encouraged to do or dress one way & entirely another thing to be told to do or dress one way…

“Per Jackie, effective immediately, fighters and talent traveling on press tours and PR/marketing-related appearances are no longer permitted to wear shorts or flip flops. Jeans are acceptable and shoes are a must.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’m gonna dress how my employers want but doesn’t mean I gotta be happy about it…”Don’t let the man hold you down” “Fight the power” “You can take my life but you can never take my FREEDOM!!!”

The UFC has been rolling out an official Code of Conduct since January, which has so far focused on offensive and discriminatory statements made by fighters. (See: Mitrione, Diaz.) A dress code simply discourages fighters from looking unprofessional when they’re fulfilling the promotional part of their job, and we see no problem with that.

As for the UFC’s lightweight champion, Henderson drowned his sorrows at the mall following his Facebook-venting.

Update: According to a UFC official quoted by MMAJunkie, “There is no dress code to speak of. We simply ask that our athletes not wear shorts or flip flops at company-related press tours/media functions.”