Being one of the best mixed martial artists on the face of the planet probably gets you a ticket into the UFC.
Being one of the best mixed martial artists on the face of the planet doesn’t make you an automatic qualifier as a fan favorite, though…
Being one of the best mixed martial artists on the face of the planet probably gets you a ticket into the UFC.
Being one of the best mixed martial artists on the face of the planet doesn’t make you an automatic qualifier as a fan favorite, though.
If Brock Lesnar and Tito Ortiz proved anything in their illustrious fighting careers, it was that no matter how dominant they could possibly be, they always managed to rub a good portion of the MMA community the wrong way. Lesnar was hated because of his confidence. Ortiz was hated for his refusal to face the best.
They were champions, and they were woefully disliked.
But if history tells us anything, even being respectful and willing to challenge the best available opponents still doesn’t grant you access into fans’ hearts.
Scroll on through the rest of the slideshow to see what top fighters fans love to hate. To limit the amount of fighters featured on the list, only those within the top five of their respective divisions will be considered.
It’s probably safe to say no one saw that coming.
Riding a win streak of a couple of fights (19 non-Anthony Pettis fights if you want to get crazy with it) and looking like he’d never be far beyond nipping at the champ’s heels, Benson Henderson walked …
It’s probably safe to say no one saw that coming.
Riding a win streak of a couple of fights (19 non-Anthony Pettis fights if you want to get crazy with it) and looking like he’d never be far beyond nipping at the champ’s heels, Benson Henderson walked into Tulsa, Oklahoma, and got himself knocked out.
The culprit, Rafael dos Anjos, is a grappling ace who has developed the type of technique that accentuates his physical tools nicely and just happened to peak in the biggest fight of his life.
Henderson was the victim for a change, falling to 21-4 in his career and finding himself rudderless in the crowded 155-pound waters of the UFC.
Here are three fights to consider for him going forward.
These two met earlier in the year and provided one of the more divisive results in recent history, as Thomson looked to get the better of Henderson for much of the bout, but Henderson’s focus on activity over damage was enough to sway the judges.
Now, the better part of a year later, they’re both in the same place in the UFC anyway: respected veteran contenders coming off surprising losses. Funny how this sport works, isn’t it?
With no obvious solution to the matchmaking problem for either man, why not put them together again and give them the chance to work out their issues one more time? After all, Thomson was so flustered by the loss that he openly pondered retirement, and it was the exact type of decision Henderson gets so often that fans were flustered by it too.
The UFC could do worse than booking these two again.
Michael Johnson
The man who was booked to face Thomson last month on Fox might also be an interesting fit for Henderson, as he pulled out of that bout due to injury but has otherwise been enjoying quite a resurgence in his career.
Finally capable of applying his athletic gifts to the fight game, Johnson matches up well with Henderson in every imaginable way. Every component of the bout would be a pick ’em on paper, the type of fight that could easily serve to create a new star or prove that an old one isn’t ready to burn out just yet.
KhabibNurmagomedov
No one has been itching to fight Nurmagomedov since he joined the UFC, and it’s hard to imagine the lineup to fight Henderson has ever been particularly long either. Though he’s presently out with a knee injury, there’s reason to be intrigued by Nurmagomedov meeting Henderson in a return bout.
Due to the UFC’s schedule, the urgency of booking winners against winners and losers against losers is much less compared to what it was a couple of years ago. There’s also the influence of lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and top contender Gilbert Melendez sitting around until December, when their season of The Ultimate Fighter ends and they can fight for the title.
With that in mind, there’s a good chance that, though he beat Dos Anjos himself and could easily hold claim to a title shot, the unbeaten Dagestan native may need to take another fight when he’s healthy, and that fight should be Henderson.
Almost everyone who’s relevant is either booked or hurt and, at least on paper, Nurmagomedov has never been tested by a name as well-known and dangerous as Henderson. Win that fight, and he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he should be next in line for a crack at gold.
The UFC Fight Night 49 main event between Rafael dos Anjos and Benson Henderson hardly went as expected on Saturday.
Only one second past the midway point of the opening round, dos Anjos landed a barrage of strikes that resulted in Henderson’s first ca…
The UFC Fight Night 49 main event between Rafael dos Anjos and Benson Henderson hardly went as expected on Saturday.
Only one second past the midway point of the opening round, dos Anjos landed a barrage of strikes that resulted in Henderson’s first career knockout loss. It started with a flying knee that forced a Henderson takedown attempt. As Henderson stood back up after failing to finish the takedown, dos Anjos cracked the former lightweight champion with a left hand that forced referee John McCarthy to step in.
Closing as a plus-440 underdog, dos Anjos wasn’t given much chance to beat No. 1-ranked lightweight contender Henderson. If the Brazilian was going to mount an upset, most figured he’d do so with takedowns and top control.
Giving up 10 takedowns in his prior two outings, Henderson’s takedown defense was looking like his biggest weakness. Aside from eating some hard body kicks from against Anthony Pettis, Henderson has rarely showed holes in his stand-up. Nonetheless, dos Anjos found a way to get his hand raised without even attempting a takedown.
In winning on Saturday, dos Anjos became the first person not named Pettis to defeat Henderson since March 2007 and only the third fighter to do so overall. Finishing a fighter like Henderson is a big deal and should elevate dos Anjos from his current No. 5 position in the lightweight rankings despite his fairly recent loss to No. 3 contender KhabibNurmagomedov.
Dos Anjos has now won seven of his past eight fights, making him one of the very best in the 155-pound division. The Brazilian has always been a very good grappler, but his striking appears to have risen to a new level under trainer Rafael Cordeiro.
After scoring only two knockouts, one being via cut, during nearly 10 full years to begin his MMA career, dos Anjos has now stopped back-to-back opponents with strikes. In June, Jason High was the Brazilian’s prior victim.
With his recent surge upward in the 155-pound class, dos Anjos is closing in on his first shot at the division’s championship. The only thing that might get in his way would be Nurmagomedov capturing the belt before dos Anjos is named the top contender. The Brazilian has some work to do in order to prove he deserves that rematch, as Nurmagomedov defeated him soundly with takedowns.
Should Eddie Alvarez defeat Donald Cerrone in September, the former Bellator MMA champion would be a good matchup for dos Anjos. If dos Anjos is able to stop a former UFC champion and former Bellator MMA champion in consecutive outings, he’ll be hard to pass up as a candidate for a shot at UFC gold.
Meanwhile, Henderson now has some serious work to do to earn his way back to the top.
With two losses to Pettis and now one against dos Anjos, Henderson is going to have a rough time earning a title shot unless somebody else rises above those two fighters. It’s going to be near impossible for him to earn a rematch with Pettis, and he’s going to have to go on a serious winning streak to get a second crack at dos Anjos.
Changing weight divisions can be an option for a fighter in Henderson’s position, but it doesn’t seem like a route open to him. The former titleholder has a rough cut to 155 pounds, so he’s unlikely to be able to make 145 pounds, and a move up to welterweight wouldn’t seem very beneficial.
At 30 years old, Henderson should be in his prime still. However, two losses in his past four fights suggest Henderson might be headed in the wrong direction already.
Ending a scintillating night in scintillating fashion, Rafael dos Anjos shocked the world at UFC Fight Night 49 when he starched former lightweight champion Benson Henderson in the first round.
A wild haymaker connected out of a scramble and sent Hende…
Ending a scintillating night in scintillating fashion, Rafael dos Anjos shocked the world at UFC Fight Night 49 when he starched former lightweight champion Benson Henderson in the first round.
A wild haymaker connected out of a scramble and sent Henderson flailing to the mat, where follow-up blows completed what was academic at that point.
The win is unquestionably the biggest of dos Anjos‘ career and it’s a crippling loss for Henderson. For fans though, it was an explosive cherry on top of a night of equally enjoyable action across the board.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
The sight of Henderson, triumphant so many times and in so many ways during his lengthy run at the top of the heap, stopped so violently. For all the times he eked out a win on a set of scorecards, his greatest loss came in a manner that left absolutely no doubt.
What We Learned About Benson Henderson
That’s he’s beatable.
Aside from Anthony Pettis, no one could really claim to have proven that with any proper sincerity at this stage in the game. On Saturday night in Tulsa, dos Anjos did just that.
There’ve been cracks in the foundation at times and wins that only narrowly avoided being losses, but this was the first time in a long time that someone truly beat Henderson outside of Pettis.
That’s a serious feather in the Brazilian’s cap.
What We Learned About Rafael dos Anjos
That he’s for real.
His skills have been quietly coming along for a while now, and he’s the perfect blend of power and technique. With a standup arsenal that’s gone from nonexistent to genuinely threatening over the past few years, it’s time to consider him one of the very best lightweights on Earth.
What’s Next for Henderson
A trip back to the ol‘ drawing board, most likely. When he emerges from some time spent pondering this debacle, he may be looking to get into a fight with someone like Bobby Green or Myles Jury, or even a rematch of his heavily questioned win over Josh Thomson from earlier this year.
What’s Next for dos Anjos
Only the very best from here on out.
He recently lost to the injured KhabibNurmagomedov, but perhaps a fight against Eddie Alvarez, should he be successful in his UFC debut next month, could make some sense for later this year.
If you want to know the full results of the card, we’ll have them right here:
Preliminary Card
Neil Magny vs. Alex Garcia
Beneil Dariush vs. Tony Martin
Matt Hobar def. Aaron Phillips via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Ben Saunders def. Chris Heatherly via submission (omoplata) at 2:18 of round one.
Wilson Reis def. Joby Sanchez via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).
Main Card
James Vick vs. Walmir Lazaro
Chas Skelly vs. Tom Niinimaki
Max Holloway vs. Mirsad Bektic
Benson “Smooth” Henderson and Rafael dos Anjos will face off in a crucial lightweight battle in Tulsa, Oklahoma at UFC Fight Night 49 on Saturday. Henderson is pining for another shot at current champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, while dos Anjos is ma…
Benson “Smooth” Henderson and Rafael dos Anjos will face off in a crucial lightweight battle in Tulsa, Oklahoma at UFC Fight Night 49 on Saturday. Henderson is pining for another shot at current champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, while dos Anjos is making his initial climb up the ladder.
Since losing his title by submission to Pettis, Henderson has been impressive. He’s defeated Josh Thomson and RustamKhabilov. Now Henderson is ranked No. 1, and he must handle the dangerous dos Anjos to continue his path toward a shot at Pettis.
Mike Pyle will also take on Jordan Mein and Francis “Limitless” Carmont battles Thales Leites in a matchup of top-15 middleweights.
Here’s a look at the entire card with predictions for each match. Just beneath the table is a closer look at the three biggest bouts on the card.
Henderson Will Outlast dos Anjos
It’s almost impossible to outpoint Henderson. Smooth has mastered the art of winning rounds in the UFC. As a matter of fact, eight of Henderson’s UFC bouts have gone the distance. In those bouts, 21 of the 24 judges have scored those fights in favor of Henderson.
When an opponent thinks that being over aggressive is the way to bring the fight to the former champion, Henderson reminds them that he’s still an above-average striker.
Even with those offensive gifts, defense is what makes Henderson so tough to defeat. Per Fight Metric, he thwarts 66 percent of the strikes aimed his way. When a fighter as well-rounded as Henderson is also tough to hit, he’s a handful for any opponent.
Dos Anjos is talented, and in many ways, he’s similar to Henderson. He’s very technical, but he isn’t as adept in the stand-up game. Against Henderson, he’ll try to lean on his jiu-jitsu. However, Henderson’s powerful base, dexterity and technique will make that a difficult task.
Henderson will win on the strength of a more competent and effective striking game. My prediction is a unanimous decision, but others think Smooth will win by submission.
Either way, the bottom line should be the same.
Mein Will Take Decision over Pyle
In a battle of two former Matt Brown KO victims, Jordan Mein will score the victory. Pyle was knocked out by Brown in August of 2013 and Mein was thwarted just four months earlier.
Since the defeats at the hands of Brown, both Mein and Pyle have performed well. Pyle dominated TJ Waldburger in February and stopped him in the third round and Mein won a split decision over HernaniPerpetuo in April.
While both of these guys are good grapplers, Mein‘s quickness should keep Pyle off balance on Saturday. The challenge for Mein will be to keep the fight standing. Once Pyle sees he’s no match for Mein in the striking game, he’ll look to take Mein down.
A submission is Pyle’s best shot at winning, but it won’t be easy.
Mein hasn’t lost a fight by submission in six years. He’ll fight off Pyle’s attempts to gain an edge on the ground, and win a decision based on his performance in the stand-up.
Leites Will Submit Carmont
Thales Leites and Francis Carmont are headed in opposite directions. Carmont has lost his last two bouts while Leites has won three in a row.
Both men have outstanding ground games, but Carmont‘s is mostly about power and dominating top position. Leites is more slippery and is at his best working toward the submission.
Because of the two men’s skill sets, it’s very likely this one winds up on the ground. When it does, Leites will set a trap for an over-aggressive Carmont and finish him with a submission to keep the Frenchman on a losing streak.
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It’s probably safe to say no one saw that coming.
