The UFC usually does a good job of matchmaking and putting together entertaining fight cards. I think they made a mistake with Henderson vs Guida though. This has fight of the night written all over it, and it could be wasted on the undercard.Most UFC …
The UFC usually does a good job of matchmaking and putting together entertaining fight cards. I think they made a mistake with Henderson vs Guida though. This has fight of the night written all over it, and it could be wasted on the undercard.
Most UFC fans know Clay Guida; he looks like a caveman and fights like he’s on some type of crazy stimulant. Guida has a motor that’s constantly going, and the only way to slow him down is to submit him, or knock him out (if it’s possible).
Ben Henderson is relatively unknown to UFC fans, but made a lot of noise in the WEC. Henderson fought for the WEC Lightweight Championship, won it and then defended his belt twice.
You’ve probably seen the fight where Henderson lost his belt; it was the fight where Anthony Pettis ran off the fence like a ninja and kicked him in the face. Henderson wasn’t knocked out by the kick and finished the fight, only to lose by decision.
The UFC has now merged with the WEC, and Henderson is a rising star. He has racked up two consecutive wins against Mark Bocek and Jim Miller. Guida is a step up in competition.
Guida is a decent striker, but focuses mostly on his wrestling. Fighters need to make sure that Guida doesn’t get on top. His hair is annoying when he is on top, as is his control and relentlessness.
Ben Henderson is more well rounded. Physically he’s one of the most gifted lightweights in the division. He’s a top-notch wrestler, and has solid kicks and average boxing.
Henderson’s most impressive attribute might be the fact that his limbs are made of something that would make Superman jealous. To this point in his career, it appears that Henderson can’t be choked out or have limbs broken.
It’s not for lack of effort. Against Donald Cerrone, Henderson got put in every kind of submission imaginable, and walked away unscathed.
The energy of this fight will be through the roof. It’s a shame that it will only be three rounds, because these guys could go for seven and still be exciting to watch.
Let’s hope that the UFC snaps out of it, and puts this potential fight-of-the-year onto the main fight card.
(Bendo” and “The Carpenter” will be appearing alongside in Encino Man 2: The Encino Twins.)
UFC officials announced a pair of fight bookings for it’s November 12 Fox premier show overnight.
According to a posting on UFC.com, former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson (14-2) will take on Clay Guida (29-8) in a 155-pound affair and top Japanese bantamweight Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) will square off against Strikeforce and Shooto veteran Darren Uyenoyama (6-3) in 135-pound action on the card.
Although neither fight will be shown during the one-hour broadcast which will feature only one bout — a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos — UFC president Dana White mentioned last week that they are looking at options to ensure fans can watch the entire card.
(Bendo” and “The Carpenter” will be appearing alongside in Encino Man 2: The Encino Twins.)
UFC officials announced a pair of fight bookings for it’s November 12 Fox premier show overnight.
According to a posting on UFC.com, former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson (14-2) will take on Clay Guida (29-8) in a 155-pound affair and top Japanese bantamweight Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-4, 1 NC) will square off against Strikeforce and Shooto veteran Darren Uyenoyama (6-3) in 135-pound action on the card.
Although neither fight will be shown during the one-hour broadcast which will feature only one bout — a heavyweight title fight between Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos — UFC president Dana White mentioned last week that they are looking at options to ensure fans can watch the entire card.
A win by Henderson or Guida will likely lead to a title shot considering that in June “The Carpenter” defeated the man who was supposed to be next in line at the winner of Edgar and Maynard — the WEC’s last lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who took the title from “Bendo” last December.
Yamamoto, who lost in his UFC debut to Demetrious Johnson in February will be looking to rebound against his fellow countryman with his first North American win, but in spite of his deceiving record, Uyenoyama is a tough opponent and a win over him won’t come easy, especially in his first Octagon appearance since he’ll be fighting like his career is on the line.
———-
Main Card (On Fox) Heavyweight Championship Bout
Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos
Preliminary Card
Ben Henderson vs. Clay Guida
Dustin Poirier vs. Pablo Garza
Cub Swanson vs. Ricardo Lamas
Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto vs. Darren Uyenoyama
Filed under: UFC, News, UFC on FOX A lightweight scrap featuring a pair of the division’s top-rated competitors has been added to the card of November 12’s UFC on FOX premiere.
The tilt will feature Ben Henderson taking on Clay Guida. The bout, first …
A lightweight scrap featuring a pair of the division’s top-rated competitors has been added to the card of November 12’s UFC on FOX premiere.
The tilt will feature Ben Henderson taking on Clay Guida. The bout, first reported by Yahoo! Sports’s Kevin Iole, has been confirmed to MMA Fighting by sources with knowledge of the situation, though not yet officially announced by the UFC.
Henderson has won both of his starts since moving over from the WEC, where he was at one time the organization’s lightweight champion. His consecutive defeats of Mark Bocek and more recently Jim Miller have come in decisive fashion, rocketing Henderson up the divisional rankings.
A winner of 12 of his last 13 fights, Henderson stands at 14-2 overall.
Guida rallied from two straight losses in 2009 to post four straight wins, most recently derailing Anthony Pettis from a possible title shot in a unanimous decision victory. He also holds wins over Takanori Gomi, Shannon Gugerty and Rafael dos Anjos during that stretch. Guida is 29-8 overall.
UFC on FOX takes place on Nov. 12 from the Honda Center in Anaheim, California and will feature a main event of heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos. However, that one-hour scheduled broadcast is for now guaranteeing only Velasquez-dos Santos airtime.
While Henderson vs. Guida is likely to be the co-main event, the fight has not yet been guaranteed a live television airing, according to sources with knowledge of the information, although given its importance, the UFC is likely to find airtime for it somehow.
Make no mistake about it, former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is looking to get his hands on some UFC gold.Less than a month ago, Henderson fought top lightweight contender Jim Miller and, using his more technical striking and superior grappl…
Make no mistake about it, former WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is looking to get his hands on some UFC gold.
Less than a month ago, Henderson fought top lightweight contender Jim Miller and, using his more technical striking and superior grappling abilities, was able to take the decision victory.
Even after beating him decisively, Henderson shows nothing but respect for Miller.
“Jim is a tough guy, my hat’s off to him. [There was] a lot of talk about him getting a title shot, [he was on] a seven fight win streak”, Henderson said. “I just went in there, I wanted to have fun and go make a statement.”
Henderson went on to elaborate on the statement he was trying to make.
“I wanted to say ‘Hey, I’m gonna get this UFC belt, I wanna get a [title] shot and this is me working for it.’ A lot of people forgot about me, but I’m here still.”
From there, MMA legend and former UFC heavyweight champion Bas Rutten took the floor, complimenting Henderson on his performance against Miller and making particular note of his cardio.
“It was crazy. You didn’t even open your mouth,” Rutten said. “I mean, you’re in shape. There’s people who are in shape and there’s people who are in shape and you bring it to a whole new level. It’s a scary thought for any champion who sees that and he sees a guy who is totally dominating somebody and who doesn’t get tired.”
On the show, they revealed a poll MMAjunkie.com had put forth, asking which UFC lightweight contender most deserved a title shot right now—Gray Maynard was exempt from the poll because he is already getting the next title shot.
It was a close poll with Henderson taking 34 percent of the votes, just behind Clay Guida, who had 36 percent.
When the idea of Henderson fighting Guida for a No. 1 contender’s spot in the lightweight division was mentioned, Henderson seemed to like the idea.
“I’d love to get in there and see who has the better gas tank”, Henderson said of Guida, who is a fighter also known for his cardiovascular endurance.
Whether or not the UFC will make this fight remains to be seen, but the fight certainly makes sense and there seems to be a lot of people who want to see it happen.
Andrew Barr is a Featured Columnist for Bleacherreport.com. For updates on what’s happening in the world of MMA, follow him on Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/AndrewBarr8
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.
The UFC usually does a good job of matchmaking and putting together entertaining fight cards. I think they made a mistake with Henderson vs Guida though. This has fight of the night written all over it, and it could be wasted on the undercard.
A lightweight scrap featuring a pair of the division’s top-rated competitors has been added to the card of November 12’s UFC on FOX premiere.