In just over two months, former lightweight champion Benson Henderson returns to the Octagon to face former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 59.
Henderson last fought in August, when he suffered his first career knock…
In just over two months, former lightweight champion Benson Henderson returns to the Octagon to face former Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez at UFC Fight Night 59.
Henderson last fought in August, when he suffered his first career knockout loss in brutal fashion at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos.
Alvarez is also coming off a loss. His last fight was his UFC debut, in which he dropped a unanimous decision to perennial contender Donald Cerrone.
Both fighters will be looking to get back on track, and with Henderson ranked at No. 5 and Alvarez at No. 10, this is a fight with serious implications in the stacked lightweight division.
Let’s take a look at who has the edge in this early head-to-toe breakdown.
Professional sports careers are marred with a multitude of injuries. Often times, the athletes are forced to suffer from their effects for years after their time competing is over.
The controversy surrounding brain injuries has jumped to the forefront …
Professional sports careers are marred with a multitude of injuries. Often times, the athletes are forced to suffer from their effects for years after their time competing is over.
The controversy surrounding brain injuries has jumped to the forefront in recent years. Mixed martial arts is not without its own concerns for head injuries. This is why the slow return of T.J. Grant is a positive move, not only for his career, but for future fighters who are dealing with serious head injuries.
For those of you who may have forgotten, T.J. Grant was, at one time, the No. 1 contender to the UFC lightweight title. After defeating Gray Maynard at UFC 160, Grant was slated to face then-champion Benson Henderson at UFC 164. Instead, Grant suffered an injury that forced him from the card.
The UFC would then give Grant a second opportunity to fight for the title. This time he was placed against Anthony Pettis for UFC on Fox 9, but again he would be put on the shelf because of a continued battle with post-concussion syndrome (via Sherdog). Nearly 17 months after his last fight, there still isn’t a timetable for Grant’s return.
“It’s definitely difficult,” Grant told Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie. “The whole year’s been difficult. Being a professional fighter, you need to be at another level and I’m optimistic going forward that I’ll get better.”
While it is obviously hard for Grant to sit on the sideline while his peers compete, doing so is the best step for his long-term health. Across sports, there are multiple stories of athletes being more aware of the serious nature of head injuries. Sidney Rice, age 28, became the most recent player to step away from the NFL at a young age due to multiple bouts with concussions (via SB Nation). As more information emerges about the potential for long-term damage from concussions, time has become a vital component to the care of athletes who sustain these injuries.
In a sport that involves such violence as mixed martial arts, Grant is taking the right steps to protect his health. Missing a year of competition is a tough position for any fighter, however Grant could sustain further damage that will not only end his career, but harm his personal life as well.
“I could fight tomorrow – I just know it wouldn’t be good for my long-term health,” Grant continued in his interview with MMA Junkie. “Physically, I can do everything I need to, it’s just my brain. I want to make sure that’s OK, because it’s a lot more important than the other stuff. I know I can fight. I just want to be smart about it.”
Mixed martial artists are in a tough position when it comes to dealing with concussions. Time away from fighting means a loss of money and big opportunities in the future. However, rushing back has the potential to damage their health beyond repair. T.J. Grant has sat out for more than a year and while his career may suffer, his health—which is the most important factor—will benefit.
Henderson and Alvarez will both be looking to bounce back from recent defeats. Henderson is coming off his first-round knockout loss to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 49 in August, while Alvarez was out-pointed by Donald Cerrone in his Octagon debut at UFC 178.
The Herald is also reporting two more interesting bookings for the 1/18 card…
(Eddie Alvarez briefly turns Donald Cerrone into Karl Childers during their three-round war last month. / Photo via Getty)
Henderson and Alvarez will both be looking to bounce back from recent defeats. Henderson is coming off his first-round knockout loss to Rafael Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night 49 in August, while Alvarez was out-pointed by Donald Cerrone in his Octagon debut at UFC 178.
The Herald is also reporting two more interesting bookings for the 1/18 card…
– Jorge Masvidal vs. Norman Parke. Masvidal has won three straight in the lightweight division, most recently taking a decision over James Krause at UFC 178. Parke — the TUF Smashes winner who’s still undefeated in the UFC — was supposed to face Diego Sanchez next month at UFC 180 but had to withdraw due to a knee injury.
– Uriah Hall vs. Costas Philippou. This is actually a rematch for the two middleweights, who previously met at Ring of Combat 34 back in February 2011, with Philippou earning a majority decision. Hall has won back to back fights against Chris Leben and Thiago Santos, while Philippou is coming off a knockout win against Lorenz Larkin.
The UFC’s brass obviously has no plans of easing former Bellator MMA champ Eddie Alvarez into the mix in its stacked lightweight division.
Roughly a month after watching him drop his promotional debut in a barn-burner against Donald Cerrone, the UFC an…
The UFC’s brass obviously has no plans of easing former BellatorMMA champ Eddie Alvarez into the mix in its stacked lightweight division.
Roughly a month after watching him drop his promotional debut in a barn-burner against Donald Cerrone, the UFC announced that Alvarez will face former UFC lightweight kingpin Benson Henderson in his next fight.
The 10th-ranked Alvarez will lock horns with the fifth-ranked Henderson in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston on Jan. 18. The night’s main event will feature a scrap between fifth-ranked featherweight Conor McGregor and the eighth-ranked Dennis Siver.
The Alvarez/Henderson fight replaces the originally scheduled co-main event bout between the fourth-ranked Cerrone and the eighth-ranked Myles Jury. The Cerrone/Jury bout will instead take place at UFC 182 on Jan. 3.
Alvarez and Henderson, who are each 30 years old, are both looking to rebound from recent losses.
Alvarez (25-4) saw a three-fight winning streak snapped when he dropped his much-anticipated promotional debut in a unanimous-decision loss to Cerrone in the co-main event of UFC 178 on Sept. 27.
The third-ranked Rafael dos Anjos handed Henderson his third loss under the Zuffa banner by KO’ing him in the main event of UFC Fight Night 49 on Aug. 23.
Alvarez became the Bellator MMA lightweight champ by avenging his lone loss with the promotion with a controversial split-decision win over Michael Chandler at Bellator 106 in November 2013.
Henderson, the former WEC lightweight champ, won the lightweight title with a narrow unanimous-decision win over Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in February 2012.
Henderson defended his UFC belt three times before getting submitted (armbar) by Anthony Pettis at UFC 164 in August 2013.
Benson Henderson is one of the most polarizing individuals in the UFC’s lightweight division. The former champion seems to garner more hatred every time he steps into the cage. After suffering his second defeat eight days before the one-year anni…
Benson Henderson is one of the most polarizing individuals in the UFC’s lightweight division. The former champion seems to garner more hatred every time he steps into the cage. After suffering his second defeat eight days before the one-year anniversary of losing the belt to Anthony Pettis, one must wonder what is next for the man simply known as “Smooth.”
Henderson’s defeat at the hands of Rafael dos Anjos has pushed him down to No. 4 in the UFC’s official rankings. Unfortunately for Henderson, he might as well hold a ranking spot that is well out of the Top 10, because that defeat at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos has completely knocked him out of the immediate title picture. Names such as Donald Cerrone, Eddie Alvarez and Bobby Green can quickly leapfrog him if they put together an impressive performance before the end of 2014. So what does this mean for Henderson, and will he lose his motivation for the sport? Hopefully the answer is no.
When looking at this question the first step is to review Henderson’s comments about his plans to walk away from the sport of MMA. In a 2013 interview with Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, the former champion discussed his thoughts on retirement.
“By the time I hit 33 I intend on retiring. I’m done after that,” Henderson told Helwani during the conversation. “Fighting is hard, fighting is tough. You get beat up in the body. It’s hard; it takes a toll on your body.”
Henderson made those comments in April 2013 before he was able to defeat Gilbert Melendez for his third defense of the title. His fortunes have not been so great since that interview, and now he finds himself in a perplexing position within the lightweight division. However, that does not mean he should lose his motivation for both this weight class and beyond.
First, if Henderson can put together a string of 3-4 wins within the next year, he may find himself in a position in which the UFC will need him. Henderson has a track record of staying pretty active in the cage, and that can play to his advantage. Recent developments have seen the UFC deal with injury issues in multiple main events in 2014.
If Benson can win some bouts and do so in a highlight-reel fashion, he can place himself on the short list of fighters the UFC calls if it needs a late replacement. He isn’t really in the position to turn down any opportunities that may come via injury as this may be the only route for him to leap to the top of the lightweight heap.
The second option for Henderson is a potential move to welterweight. This conversation is not a new talking point in reference to the former title holder. Comments dating back to 2011 have referenced Henderson moving up to 170 pounds. An interview with Geno Mrosko of Bloody Elbow revealed that Benson has made preparations to make the eventual move.
“As I get older, I eat healthier, try to eat the right things, make all these little sacrifices that it takes to be a champion,” Henderson said to Mrosko. “Hopefully, eventually my technique catches up where I can hang with guys that are freaking 20 pounds heavier than me, and use more of my speed when they are bigger and slower, and my technique makes up for them being stronger than me.”
These are two very interesting opportunities that await Henderson when he does return to fighting. While he may not have been the most popular of fighters and earned some heat for controversial wins, the truth remains that he is a very tough foil for any athlete placed opposite the Octagon. Whatever Henderson decides to do going forward will be worth watching out for by anyone who could be an eventual opponent.
You didn’t think we were going to get through an entire Benson Henderson fight without a little controversy, did you?
Sorry, but that’s just not how he rolls.
Just as they seemingly always do after his fights, opinions differ on Henderson&r…
You didn’t think we were going to get through an entire Benson Henderson fight without a little controversy, did you?
Sorry, but that’s just not how he rolls.
Just as they seemingly always do after his fights, opinions differ on Henderson’s knockout loss to Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of Saturday night’s UFC Fight Night 49. Depending on whose social media ramblings you follow, a lot of things may or may not have happened.
Dos Anjos may or may not have stunned Henderson with a flying knee midway through the first round. Henderson may or may not have been out cold after dos Anjos dropped him with a left hook in the ensuing scramble. Referee Big John McCarthy may or may not have been a little quick to stop the fight, as Henderson may or may not have been grappling for position on the ground.
Bendo himself tried to take the high road at the post-fight press conference, but his painstakingly detailed description of events leading up to the stoppage sounded suspiciously like a fighter’s way of implying he got a raw deal.
“It was a flash knockout,” Henderson said, via MMAMania.com’s Geno Mrosko. “I remember dropping my back into the fence and I was like, ‘Oh, damn it, that didn’t look good at all, that’s a bad thing right there.’ [I] wanted to latch onto a single leg…push him up against the cage…let the cobwebs clear a little bit… But as soon as I start to come around and go onto the single leg, ‘Big John’ did his job.”
So there you have it. Maybe Henderson was in deep trouble after that dos Anjos punch. Maybe not. Either way, it’s a good bet guys like Frankie Edgar, Gilbert Melendez and Josh Thomson didn’t shed any tears over his loss.
Truth is, Henderson’s been walking a fine line between winning and losing for the majority of his 11-fight UFC career. This outing was shorter than most—and this time he came out on the wrong end of the argument—but since his 155-pound title reign began in early 2012, he’s been no stranger to disputed outcomes.
Both of Henderson’s initial title fights against Edgar at UFCs 144 and 150 could’ve gone either way. His close bouts against Melendez and Thomson at UFC on Fox events in 2013-14 wrote the same story. Miraculously, he won all four by razor-close judges’ decisions (one unanimous, three split).
He’s emerged victorious from so many tight decisions that when he garnered that split verdict over Thomson in January, UFC President Dana White called it “typical” Bendo. Even the boss knows the drill at this point.
The only of Henderson’s recent victories that didn’t leave some people grumbling were his wipeout of Nate Diaz in Dec. 2012 and his submission over RustamKhabilov two-and-a-half months ago. In between, he lost his title to Anthony Pettis via first-round armbar, but the lion’s share of his outings have been far less clear-cut.
Henderson’s penchant for inspiring controversy feels essential to his identity in the lightweight division at this point. It’s actually the most interesting thing about the guy, if you want to know the truth, especially considering that personality-wise he’s the last thing from controversial.
Despite taking pains to appear the opposite of fascinating, he always finds a way to make things interesting. When Henderson wins, a lot of people typically argue that he should’ve lost. When he loses? Well, now that’s in doubt, too.
There are worse roles to have in the UFC’s most crowded and competitive division. At least Henderson keeps us talking. Dare I say we wouldn’t be nearly this interested in him if the highest-profile fights of his career had been less scandalous.
This reputation obviously comes with a downside, though. White’s words after the Thomson fight weren’t meant as a compliment. It was common knowledge that despite holding down the No. 1 spot on the UFC’s official rankings, Henderson wasn’t going to get another chance to fight Pettis until he did something to clear up all this uncertainty.
Maybe that’s part of what undid him against dos Anjos.
After his stoppage over Khabilov at Fight Night 42, Henderson drew rave reviews for finally showing some urgency. He spent the fleeting minutes he had in the cage with dos Anjos looking similarly motivated. Both guys came out of their corners winging punches, hunting for a finish.
Unfortunately, this time it was Henderson on the losing side. If we thought his road back to the title would be long and arduous before this, well, suffering a first-round knockout doesn’t help his case, nor does it further his reputation as a litmus test for up-and-coming championship contenders.
But all is not lost. There is still an incredible backlog of challengers waiting for Pettis and Melendez to finally fight near the end of the year. That means both dos Anjos and Henderson will certainly have to compete again before the championship gears grind back into action.
Dos Anjos may have stamped his passport as a legitimate threat in the 155-pound division last weekend, but he’s going to have to tread water until the championship carousel has a spot for him. He’s already lost to KhabibNurmagomedov, and with the rest of the Top 5 currently booked elsewhere, his next bout will probably be one where he has a lot to lose and little to gain.
For Henderson, who dropped from No. 1 to No. 4? This isn’t exactly the end of the world.
He, too, will likely enter the Octagon again before the lightweight pecking order has much chance to change. That means he’ll get yet another opportunity to rehabilitate his contender status. He’ll continue to get high-profile fights, and if he gets back to winning them—by any means necessary—he won’t be down for long.
By the time we sort out the logjam at the top of the lightweight division, things that may or may not have happened at a Fight Night show in Tulsa on a Saturday night in mid-August might well be forgotten.
The UFC’s brass obviously has no plans of easing former