Frankie Edgar is the current UFC lightweight champion, and is coming off a great win over rival Gray Maynard. He has jettisoned himself into the pound-for-pound rankings and now has successfully defended (including the retained draw) his title three ti…
Frankie Edgar is the current UFC lightweight champion, and is coming off a great win over rival Gray Maynard. He has jettisoned himself into the pound-for-pound rankings and now has successfully defended (including the retained draw) his title three times.
But now that he is still the champion, where does his career path lie?
This list is the top five guys for Frankie Edgar to face in the coming future. Most of the people mentioned have fights by the end of the year, and will help thin out who is worthy of the title shot, but for now, the 155 division is stacked. Now that Melvin Guillard is temporarily out the picture, here are the five that are waiting their turn.
Two of the best young fighters in their respective divisions have decided to stick around with the UFC for a while longer.According to MMAWeekly, Carlos Condit and Ben Henderson have both signed contract extensions through their management company, Fir…
Two of the best young fighters in their respective divisions have decided to stick around with the UFC for a while longer.
According to MMAWeekly, Carlos Condit and Ben Henderson have both signed contract extensions through their management company, First Round Management.
Condit and Henderson’s manager, Malki Kawa, said:
“These fight contract extensions show the MMA world that the UFC values Ben Henderson and Carlos Condit as two of its top, young stars… Both are only 27 years old and have proven that they are contenders for titles in their weight divisions and also have strong fan bases. Fans will now be able to see them continue to grow in the Octagon.”
Condit and Henderson were each very pleased with their new contracts.
Condit was most recently seen defeating Dong Hyun Kim via first-round KO at UFC 132, and he is currently preparing for a UFC 137 showdown with B.J. Penn.
“I am honored to receive an extension before my next fight, as it shows the level of confidence the UFC has in me. I can’t wait to show the fans how much my training for this next fight has paid off,” Condit said.
Henderson doesn’t currently have a fight scheduled, but in his last fight, he upset the consensus No. 3 lightweight in the UFC, Jim Miller.
“I am excited that I will have the opportunity to continue to compete in the UFC, and I want to thank the UFC for believing in me and my abilities,” Henderson said.
It will be good for the UFC, and for fans, to have these two under contract so that we can continue to see them mature as fighters.
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According to MMAJunkie.com, Ben Henderson’s manager, Malki Kawa, has said his client has verbally agreed to face Clay Guida.Kawa said he feels that Henderson has done enough to earn a title shot. However, Henderson would agree to face Guida only …
According to MMAJunkie.com, Ben Henderson’s manager, Malki Kawa, has said his client has verbally agreed to face Clay Guida.
Kawa said he feels that Henderson has done enough to earn a title shot. However, Henderson would agree to face Guida only if their fight were broadcast on the UFC’s debut on FOX, slated for November 12.
Guida’s manager,John Fosco, first proposed the idea of potentially lining up the two lightweight contenders earlier this week, only for Henderson’s camp to respond and seemingly accept.
Fosco said Guida vs. Henderson is a perfect fight to headline the upcoming UFC on FOX event.
“We will attract a whole new number of viewers on prime-time TV because we know Clay’s style,” Fosco said.
“We know it’s high-pace and high-energy.”
Henderson and Guida are known for their frenetic pace and high-octane offense that have both entertained fans and solidified them as a fan-favourites.
Both competitors have also added some momentum for themselves, as Henderson and Guida are currently enjoying respective winning streaks. Guida has racked three consecutive wins over Anthony Pettis, Takanori Gomi and Rafael dos Anjos. Henderson has compiled two straight wins over Mark Bocek and Jim Miller.
While the main event remains a mystery for now. Kawa hopes the UFC complies with both parties agreement and believes the bout would be an entertaining main event.
“I can’t think of any better way for the UFC to make its FOX debut than for Ben to fight Clay in the evening’s main event,” Kawa said.
“There’s no possible way Ben and Clay won’t deliver an absolute thriller.”
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 the…
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.
We asked, you answered, and the results are in. Our loyal readers believe that a match against Clay Guida should be next for Ben Henderson. After Henderson’s victory at UFC on Versus 5, we asked you who you believed Henderson should fight next. An…
We asked, you answered, and the results are in. Our loyal readers believe that a match against Clay Guida should be next for Ben Henderson.
After Henderson’s victory at UFC on Versus 5, we asked you who you believed Henderson should fight next. An overwhelming majority—60 percent—of those who voted believed that Henderson should square off against Guida in his next match; the winner of Frankie Edgar-Gray Maynard matchup came in at a distant second.
In his fight against Miller, Henderson looked like he took his game from “good” to “Beastmode.” Miller tried for multiple submissions during their 15-minute battle, but Henderson remained composed, worked his way out of each attempt, and made Miller’s face pay dearly in the process. Henderson would go on to win the bout by way of unanimous decision.
With zero doubt, Henderson is a top 10 lightweight. After his highly impressive performances against Miller and Mark Bocek, it would be difficult to argue otherwise.
A match against Guida for a future shot at the lightweight title could be a war for the ages—if Guida wanted it to be.
Guida has recently been chastised for “playing it safe” instead of fighting with the pace and fire that we have become accustomed to. But with a potential title shot on the line, we may see the Guida of old; the one we have all come to love.
But we will find out should the UFC make it happen.
Be sure to vote on the current poll and look for the results early next week.
Ben Henderson came out and beat Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5 in convincing fashion. Now it seems that win has given him the confidence to take on anybody in the UFC lightweight division.On Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Henderson said he would lik…
Ben Henderson came out and beat Jim Miller at UFC on Versus 5 in convincing fashion. Now it seems that win has given him the confidence to take on anybody in the UFC lightweight division.
On Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Henderson said he would like to face a plethora of UFC lightweights.
“I want to fight everybody,” Henderson said on Tuesday. “Literally. I want to beat everybody on the 155-pound roster in the UFC. I want to smash everybody. I want everybody put on notice. I’m not coming for a belt. I’m coming to beat you.”
Henderson has never been the man to call out anybody, but the whole lightweight division has been put on notice.
This new-found confidence has come after a dominating performance over who most likely would have been the No. 1 contender in lightweight division.
“My job is to fight,” Henderson said. “I will say if Dana, Lorenzo [Fertitta], Sean [Shelby] and Joe give me a title shot, I will take it and I will have a great performance,” said Henderson. “But if it’s not a title shot, that’s fine too. Going against the No. 1 contender, after you have that sort of performance against the No. 1 contender, what else is there? Not a close decision, not squeak by … what’s the next logical step? There’s the winner of the title fight.”
Clay Guida versus Henderson has been the fight that has made a lot of people going crazy. The fight makes a lot of sense to Henderson.
“If you think about it, Guida beat the No. 1 contender in Pettis, and I beat Jim Miller who was No. 1 contender,” Henderson said. “So I guess it does make sense for him and I to match up. I have no problem with that. Guida, we know, will fight anyone. But why fight someone if you can get the next title shot? Why take an extra fight if you can get the title shot?”
This would be a great opportunity for both Henderson and Guida. One sticking point though is that Guida has been vocal about facing Henderson stating how he beat Anthony Pettis. Pettis beat Henderson at WEC 53 by unanimous decision.
Title shot or a fight with Guida next, either way the fans win big here.
For unfunny jokes, MMA news and reaction from events, you can follow me on Twitter: @SalDeRoseMMA.
Two of the best young fighters in their respective divisions have decided to stick around with the UFC for a while longer.