After recently being crowned UFC lightweight champion, Benson Henderson doesn’t seem to be short on challengers.While former champion Frankie Edgar has been seeking an immediate rematch with Henderson, Anthony Pettis has also been requesting a second b…
After recently being crowned UFC lightweight champion, Benson Henderson doesn’t seem to be short on challengers.
While former champion Frankie Edgar has been seeking an immediate rematch with Henderson, Anthony Pettis has also been requesting a second bout with the newly-crowned champion.
Pettis outlasted Henderson in a five-round title bout at WEC 53, thanks to his infamous “Showtime Kick,” which helped award him the victory.
Henderson has a list of contenders lined up to face him, but he recently told MMAFighting.com that Pettis shouldn’t be one of them.
Pettis was a recent guest on ProMMARadio and responded to Henderson’s comments. He believes that the former WEC lightweight champion is hesitant to face him in a rematch.
“I mean, he just won the belt and he doesn’t want to give it up that quick and if he fights against me, he’s not going to hold on to that belt for awhile,” Pettis said. “So, if I was him, I wouldn’t want to fight me either.”
Pettis rebounded off a loss to Clay Guida to defeat Jeremy Stephens and Joe Lauzon, who he knocked out at UFC 144 this past weekend. The win was another highlight knockout for Pettis, who feels his current two-fight win streak earns him a title shot.
“There is no clear number one contender in the UFC (lightweight) division except myself,” he said. “Let’s set this up, let’s see who’s really number one in the lightweight division.”
(UFC 148 will settle the centuries old debate once and for all. Which is stronger, the widow’s peak or the Leno chin?)
ThoughThe Ultimate Fighter 15 is still a couple weeks away from airing, it seems that Urijah Faber has already begun the war of words with opposing coach, bantamweight champ, and long time rival Dominick Cruz. Set to square off for a third time at UFC 148 in June, the trash talking between these two has reached an all time high, with Faber recently setting the bar at a hole ‘notha level during a recent appearance on Inside MMA. Angered over comments that Cruz made regarding his fighting style, Faber was unrelenting in his analysis of the bantamweight champ:
That’s what fighting’s about, right? And that’s how I approach the fight. Let’s finish this fight! And he’s doing ‘point fighting.’ This isn’t a karate tournament. I mean, do you wanna take hits to the head away next? He’s alive right now because there’s rules in MMA and I had to release his neck and let him breathe! You’re welcome, Dominick Cruz, for giving you life and letting you live! Next time, I’m gonna do the same thing. I’m gonna let you live, but it’s gonna be painful.
Something tells us that we’ll be in for more than “stank bref” jokes this season.
Join us after the jump for more interesting tidbits from around the MMA world.
(UFC 148 will settle the centuries old debate once and for all. Which is stronger, the widow’s peak or the Leno chin?)
ThoughThe Ultimate Fighter 15 is still a couple weeks away from airing, it seems that Urijah Faber has already begun the war of words with opposing coach, bantamweight champ, and long time rival Dominick Cruz. Set to square off for a third time at UFC 148 in June, the trash talking between these two has reached an all time high, with Faber recently setting the bar at a hole ‘notha level during a recent appearance on Inside MMA. Angered over comments that Cruz made regarding his fighting style, Faber was unrelenting in his analysis of the bantamweight champ:
That’s what fighting’s about, right? And that’s how I approach the fight. Let’s finish this fight! And he’s doing ‘point fighting.’ This isn’t a karate tournament. I mean, do you wanna take hits to the head away next? He’s alive right now because there’s rules in MMA and I had to release his neck and let him breathe! You’re welcome, Dominick Cruz, for giving you life and letting you live! Next time, I’m gonna do the same thing. I’m gonna let you live, but it’s gonna be painful.
Something tells us that we’ll be in for more than “stank bref” jokes this season.
While we’re on the subject of heated rivalries, let’s talk about the possibility of a Ben Henderson/Anthony Pettis rematch, shall we? After starching Joe Lauzon at UFC 144, it seems Pettis is all but destined to rematch the newly crowned lightweight champ, whether or not the general public feels he deserves it. And by “general public,” we mean none other than the champ himself. In an interview with MMAFighting, Henderson put it all into perspective:
I think there’s a line. I don’t think he is first in line. I’m going to handle my business, you know, defend the belt a couple times. He’s going to handle his business. I’m sure he’ll get two or three more wins, maybe highlight reel wins, maybe sturdy wins against solid wrestlers where he can show and work on his take down defense or whatever. But he’s going to do his thing and I’m going to do my thing. I’m sure well match up one day and I’m sure it will be for my UFC belt. I don’t know if he’ll be next, but I’m sure it will happen.
Pettis was quick to retort when questioned on the issue in an interview with Pro MMA Radio, stating that Henderson was more or less afraid of him considering how their lightweight tilt back at WEC 53 went down:
If I was him, I would say the same thing too. I mean, he just won the belt and he doesn’t want to give it up that quick and if he fights against me, he’s not going to hold on to that belt for awhile, I mean, I match up bad for him, and for (him to say) for me to work on my takedown defense, last year he couldn’t take me down and we went five rounds and I won that decision. So, if I was him, I wouldn’t want to fight me either.
The last WEC Lightweight Champion went on to say that “there is no clear number one contender at lightweight” except himself, and that the upcoming UFC on Fox 3 clash between Jim Miller and Nate Diaz is simply too far away to let Henderson sit that long. And he makes a good point. Aside from possibly setting up an immediate rematch between Frankie Edgar and Henderson, there are really not that many, if any, current lightweights that should be in line for a shot. But does a win over Lauzon, who is 3-3 in his last 6, warrant a title shot, especially considering the win only improved Pettis’ UFC record to 2-1? Discuss, Potato Nation.
Did Benson “Smooth” Henderson’s dethronement of Frankie Edgar as UFC lightweight champion in UFC 144 set a new precedent on how future UFC fights will be judged, giving more bearing to effective striking than frequency of takedowns? A…
Did Benson “Smooth” Henderson’s dethronement of Frankie Edgar as UFC lightweight champion in UFC 144 set a new precedent on how future UFC fights will be judged, giving more bearing to effective striking than frequency of takedowns?
According to FightMetric statisticians, Henderson was the more active and lethal striker (and it showed on his opponent’s face), while Edgar was significantly more effective in the takedown department.
Throughout the fight, Henderson landed more strikes in quantity and quality. On the other hand, Edgar, though no slouch in striking, was more successful in landing takedowns.
In every round, except in the third where both fighters were equal with one takedown apiece, Edgar had the edge. More so, adding up all the takedowns, Edgar collected a total of five successful attempts compared to Bendo’s one!
And Edgar was even more aggressive in that third round in the takedown department, with four attempts to Bendo’s uno. We can argue, though, that the newly-crowned champion was more efficient with a 1:1 ratio.
In short, if takedowns alone were and are the basis for winning a decision in UFC, then Edgar would’ve retained his title hands down.
But more often than not, an effective strike does more damage than a consummated takedown—and the discrepancy is pronouncedly huge.
How many times has a takedown per se finished a fight?
True, there was Frank Shamrock’s iconic first-round double-leg lift and slam that triumphantly brought his title defense versus Igor Zinoviev to a quick ending—along with the latter’s fighting career.
And in Pride FC, Mark Coleman took down Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, breaking the Brazilian’s arm as punishment for “forgetting” how to fall properly.
But let’s not get too far back in history; we already have premium examples from last Saturday’s UFC 144 itself.
Quinton Jackson did slam Ryan Bader explosively hard on the canvas, and Darth landed with his left arm twisted and seemingly dislocated. Well Bader, in that same round, proceeded to get the top position on the ground and rained strikes on Jackson—using the elbow of that very same arm.
Now compare whatever “effect” of that slam to Anthony Pettis’ head kick on Joe Lauzon…
If the three judges of the UFC 144 Championship main event did consciously give more weight to effective striking over effective takedowns, then they did the right thing. This could be their lasting legacy to the UFC and to MMA in general.
For posterity’s sake, let’s honor them by remembering their names: Jordan Breen, Freddie DeFreitas and Chris Nelson.
UFC 144 was a great event from top to bottom, featuring several star performances from UFC newcomers and veterans alike. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the m…
UFC 144 was a great event from top to bottom, featuring several star performances from UFC newcomers and veterans alike. But which stars shined brightest, and what moments will fans be talking about in the following weeks? Here’s my take on the matter: my top five best moments of UFC 144.
5. Hatsu Hioki proving he’s UFC-ready
Bart Palaszewski is one of the UFC’s strongest assets in its featherweight division. He may not be championship-caliber, but he’s always entertaining, he always fights to finish, and he’s got enough versatility and veteran savvy to pose a threat to anybody. In short, he’s a great gatekeeper, and most people can’t pass his test.
Hatsu Hioki did, though, and he did it with flying colors. I’m finally starting to believe some of Hatsu Hioki’s hype.
4. Anthony Pettis KO’ing Joe Lauzon
Joe Lauzon is a really entertaining fighter, and I always feel gutted when he loses. But I felt incredibly happy when Anthony Pettis scored his first stoppage win in the UFC, even if it came at the cost of Lauzon getting KO’d.
It’s taken a few fights, but Pettis seems to have finally found firm ground to stand on in the UFC. Moving forward, I can’t wait to see if Pettis can capitalize on this victory and make a serious run at the title.
3. Mark Hunt dropping and stopping Cheick Kongo
How can you not love Mark Hunt? The guy puts it all out there every single time he fights, and it’s finally starting to pay off for him.
I honestly consider Mark Hunt’s current run to be one of the most spectacular resurrections of an MMA fighter’s career that I’ve ever seen. No matter where Mark Hunt goes from here, I’ll definitely be pulling for him.
2. Tim Boetsch rallying and stopping Yushin Okami
You couldn’t write a better comeback than this one. Tim Boetsch was done but not out, he was losing two rounds to none but never stopped thinking that he could finish the fight.
Yushin Okami, to his credit, did everything right in this fight and was five or so minutes away from getting a dominant decision victory.
But sometimes…sometimes you just get caught.
That’s exactly what happened to Okami, and it resulted in a spectacular come-from-behind stoppage win that I know we’ll all still be talking about for weeks to come.
And my personal pick for the best moment of UFC 144 is…
1. The main event, of course
If Benson Henderson vs. Frank Edgar hadn’t lived up to its hype, I would’ve been severely disappointed. Both men are on my list of favorite fighters, and I think the two of them are two of the most entertaining fighters the UFC has to offer.
For five rounds, these two gave us a stellar back-and-forth fight. It was non-stop action with a number of twists and turns, and even a few close calls. In the end we got a new UFC lightweight champion, and that was pretty awesome to see as well.
UFC 144 is done, and an interesting event it was. We saw a great comeback, a brutal five-round slugfest and unfortunately what could be the final fall of a legend. After an unprecedented seven-fight main card, some are debating whether this is one of t…
UFC 144 is done, and an interesting event it was. We saw a great comeback, a brutal five-round slugfest and unfortunately what could be the final fall of a legend. After an unprecedented seven-fight main card, some are debating whether this is one of the best UFC cards ever.
While I believe that more time will be needed to debate that topic, what can be discussed now is who were the biggest winners and losers of Saturday’s event.
Winners
Ben Henderson
The new UFC lightweight champion put on an impressive display against Frankie Edgar. While it could be debated that Edgar should’ve won the fight, Henderson’s performance can not be argued.
He fought hard, negated Edgar’s efforts to gain any advantage on the ground and landed some powerful shots, including one of the most vicious up-kicks this writer has ever seen.
Henderson’s abilities continue to evolve with each fight and his future inside the Octagon is wide open.
Jake Shields
Riding a two-fight losing streak, Jake Shields needed an impressive outing to prove that he is more than another UFC import who couldn’t hack it.
Against Yoshiro Akiyama, Shields used effective striking to will his way to a unanimous decision win. He withstood Akiyama’s takedowns and defeated “Sexyama” on his feet.
According to FightMetric, Shields landed more strikes than Akiyama by a margin of nearly 2.5 to 1. It was a much-needed win for Shields who is now looking to climb back up the welterweight ranks.
Anthony Pettis
“Showtime” showed why he is one of the best fighters at 155 lbs. Had it not been for his off-the-cage kick versus new champion Henderson, this would’ve been arguably the best highlight kick of his career.
Pettis started the fight off using his southpaw jab to keep Joe Lauzon at bay. Then, at the 1:21 mark of the first round, he sent Lauzon crashing to the canvas with a devastating head kick which all but ended the fight.
Pettis has staked his claim as a lightweight contender. Don’t be surprised to see him attempting to strip Ben Henderson of another championship belt in the near future.
Losers
Frankie Edgar
Frankie Edgar is one of the toughest fighters that I have ever seen. In his last three fights, he has been beaten like a slab of meat by Rocky yet he keeps coming back. Unfortunately, he didn’t have quite enough for Henderson.
Although he landed more strikes than Henderson, Edgar just couldn’t inflict enough damage and took a lot of punishment in return.
Frankie now must decide between two options: stay at lightweight and lobby for a rematch, or drop down to featherweight for a shot at Jose Aldo. Either way, Edgar will bounce back.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t saddened by Jackson’s performance. “Rampage” pleaded to UFC President Dana White for the opportunity to once again fight in Japan.
He then proceeded to miss weight by six pounds. Next, he followed that up with the absolute worst performance of his career.
Jackson appeared out of shape and soft around the mid-section; not to mention he was gassed four minutes into the opening stanza. Jackson would be best served by doing some soul-searching and deciding if he even desires to enter the Octagon again.
In a previous article, I questioned whether the UFC’s Japanese fighters would give a performance in Japan similar to the Brazilian showing at UFC 134. Unsurprisingly, the UFC’s Japanese fighters failed to impress in the return to their home country.
Posting a 4-5 record on the night, the most impressive performance was by featherweight Hatsu Hioki who put on a dominating ground display against Bart Palaszewski.
With Akiyama possibly on his way out of the UFC and Okami being knocked out in a fight he was on his way to winning, Japan’s hope for a happy homecoming was anything but.
It is almost conclusive that Japanese MMA is no longer the force once demonstrated in the days of PRIDE.
Ryan Bader
Yes, I am aware that “Darth” Bader won the fight. Regardless, I still found his performance lacking any real depth. All Ryan Bader did was prove that he will never be a title contender.
“Rampage” was out of shape and sucking wind for two of the three rounds. Bader never really hurt Jackson and fought scared for the first five minutes. A better fighter would’ve finished off Jackson, who was clearly in no condition to compete.
Although Bader is strong and a skilled wrestler, his game just hasn’t evolved and at this pace will never be good enough to compete with the division’s elite.
Follow Walt J. as he gives his no-holds-barred opinions on the NFL, MMA and other sports topics on his blog, “Live From AREA 49.” You can also follow him on Twitter @area49sports.
UFC 144 saw Frankie “The Answer” Edgar tenaciously defend his UFC Lightweight throne against the onslaught of Benson “Smooth” Henderson— in vain. That is, as far as the judges and the official winner’s announcement a…
UFC 144 saw Frankie “The Answer” Edgar tenaciously defend his UFC Lightweight throne against the onslaught of Benson “Smooth” Henderson— in vain. That is, as far as the judges and the official winner’s announcement are concerned.
And the telling and determinant difference could be the comparative state of facial tissues between the two fighters.
The Answer’s baby face appeared to have been bloodied by unanswered blows, while Smooth’s face appeared to have remained, well, smooth after five rounds of attrition.
It was a very close battle that could have gone either way, and in the end, it had to go one way. And that way pointed towards the UFC belt wrapping around Bendo’s girth.
The fight is now being peddled as a potential Fight of the Year awardee, and rightly so. The two men gave their all, proving that they are light only in weight class, but driven by hearts each weighing more than Quinton Jackson’s actual body weight.
It was a truly action-filled scrap, as both fighters bravely attempted to out-strike and out-grapple each other for 25 minutes of hell. How many times have we witnessed an MMA fight featuring two combatants who both try to inflict damage in every position, every second?
In the end, the warrior armed with the heavier hand—and overall body weight—won.
UFC 144 FightMetric results aside (anyone have a link to that now?), yours truly doesn’t really have a problem with Bendo as our new champion. And congratulations to him…begrudgingly.
I have to admit that I still fall victim to the David vs. Goliath syndrome. My heart remains biased towards the smaller guy fighting the giant, in any fight. (I also happen to share the same height with Frankie at 5 feet, 6 inches.)
What transpired last night was a true lightweight match, with both protagonists making the 155-pound weight limit the day before. But with the telling size discrepancy, it was very likely a lightweight versus welterweight bloody affair that we saw inside the Octagon.
In short, I was pining for Edgar. I believe that, according to my fallible perception, the defending champ did enough to eke out a victory and still reign as King David.
Just the same, the valiant Goliath Bendo delivered as much punishment as he could and remained standing. He wasn’t felled and finished off by any stone whipped from the little guy’s slingshot.
And, again, I can accept that Bendo’s win was of no stirring controversy; it was pretty close, after all.
I also remember that Carlos Condit’s face appeared a lot better-looking after he outscored Nick Diaz in UFC 143, compared to poor Edgar’s after last night.
Here’s interesting insight from Jeff Wagenheim’s Inside MMA article from Sports Illustrated:
This was no robbery. It was not even a shocking result. But it does call into question the stock a judge ought to put in the cuts and bruises on a fighter’s face, especially when that fighter shows no debilitating effect and ends up having landed more strikes, more significant strikes and a lot more takedowns. How much do you weigh those factors against a bloody nose?
…The [up-kick late in the second round] especially hurt Edgar in the eyes of the judges, as it connected high on the champ’s left cheek, just below the eye, and soon the area was purple and swollen, the eye opening barely a slit. That surely didn’t look good to the cageside observers with pencils and scorecards.
But The Answer had an answer to that vicious up-kick: a punch to the head that knocked Smooth down on the canvas in the fifth and final round! Still, it was no speeding stone that finished Bendo—it didn’t even leave him bloodied or bruised like the one who threw it.
Oh, well. Both fighters deserve a standing ovation from all of us for a brutal but very technical show of what MMA is all about.
And, for the umpteenth time, congrats to Bendo, our new UFC Lightweight Champion! (I’m still talking to myself.)
After recently being crowned UFC lightweight champion, Benson Henderson doesn’t seem to be short on challengers.