Tag: Rafael Dos Anjos

Sorting out the UFC’s Messy Lightweight Division Title Picture

UFC Fight Night 49 saw another shake-up in the lightweight division when then No. 5-ranked Rafael dos Anjos defeated No. 1-ranked contender Benson Henderson.
This followed the UFC’s announcement of Eddie Alvarez coming over to the organization to battl…

UFC Fight Night 49 saw another shake-up in the lightweight division when then No. 5-ranked Rafael dos Anjos defeated No. 1-ranked contender Benson Henderson.

This followed the UFC’s announcement of Eddie Alvarez coming over to the organization to battle Donald Cerrone at UFC 178. Win or lose, it is hard to envision a scenario that does not involve Alvarez ranked in the top 15 post-178.

The lightweight title is on hold until after The Ultimate Fighter season 20 airs, and that gives the division a lot of time to work itself out. Although, it has failed to do so in the past 12 months since Anthony Pettis won the strap from Henderson at UFC 164.

Also left out of this equation is Nate Diaz, a former top-five-ranked contender who is in a contract dispute with the UFC. Should he return, he will undoubtedly be involved in a premiere bout, but in light of UFC President Dana White‘s comments about them still being far apart on a new deal we will leave him out of this discussion.

So, how can the UFC fix this issue?

 

The most pressing issue is having a No. 1 contender ready come December or early January. Khabib Nurmagomedov, the current No. 2-ranked contender behind Gilbert Melendez after Henderson’s fall down the rankings, is out with a knee injury and not expected back until early 2015. It is unlikely the UFC would award him the next title shot while on the injury list.

That brings dos Anjos to the forefront with Cerrone and Alvarez just behind. Dos Anjos‘ win has propelled him up the rankings, where he now sits at No. 3. The fight that makes the most sense is to have dos Anjos battle the winner of Cerrone-Alvarez in a title eliminator bout.

Of course, the UFC could always grant Alvarez’s wish—should he win—and give him the title shot straight away. That would force Dos Anjos to take on a different top-10 fighter.

That would deprive fans of seeing Alvarez fight more often, though. Thanks to contract disputes with Bellator, he has only fought three times since 2012.

Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone or Alvarez in a title eliminator makes the most sense for late 2014 or early 2015.

So, what about the rest of the top contenders?

Nurmagomedov would be the next likely contender, but his injury may prevent that. The UFC can subsequently put him in a title eliminator in early 2015. There are several prime opponents such as No. 7-ranked Bobby Green, or even better a returning TJ Grant.

Grant has been out with a concussion, but he is targeting a fall return to the cage. If he is cleared, the UFC could give him a little more time to coincide with the title eliminator against Nurmagomedov. One has to remember that Grant was the next in line for a title shot before the injury. This would be a great way for him to jump back into the deep end right away.

Green is on an eight-fight win streak, and he is 4-0 in the UFC. This includes a win over the No. 6-ranked contender Josh Thomson, who was ranked at No. 3 when Green defeated him by split decision. He is certainly worthy of a top-tier fight.

This makes the winner of either bout the contender for the summer.

Those proposed title eliminator bouts allow the UFC time to rebook the likes of Thomson and the loser of Cerrone-Alvarez in contender bouts for 2015. It would make sense for young guns like Michael Johnson and Myles Jury to take on those names as they are on the cusp of breaking through to the next level.

The field is completely wide open at 155 pounds.

If you are looking for the most simple fix to the logjam at lightweight, the two proposed title eliminators are the best options. However, there are no shortage of possibilities. Only time will tell how Joe Silva and Sean Shelby will address the most stacked division in the UFC.

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For Ben Henderson, Controversial Fights Are Nothing New (But Losing Them Is)

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 Rustam Khabilov 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.

For the 29-year-old Brazilian, who is now No. 3 on the UFC’s official lightweight rankings, that’s likely bad news.

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 Khabib Nurmagomedov, 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.

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Rafael Dos Anjos Makes a Mess of the UFC’s Lightweight Title Picture

When Benson Henderson fights, you can usually count on getting comfortable. There’s time to secure your popcorn, visit the loo and make sure your stamp collection is in order. There is no rush, no funny feeling in your stomach, no threat of imminent vi…

When Benson Henderson fights, you can usually count on getting comfortable. There’s time to secure your popcorn, visit the loo and make sure your stamp collection is in order. There is no rush, no funny feeling in your stomach, no threat of imminent violence. There’s just a man, a fence and a clinch. It’s a formula that’s led to nine decisions in his last 11 fights.

So you can forgive me for settling in for the long haul last night just as Rafael dos Anjos redrew the lines of an incredibly complicated lightweight landscape with an incredible flying knee. Dos Anjos, it seemed, wasn’t willing to wait for one of Henderson’s patented controversial decision finishes. It was late, he was hungry and there was no sense in delaying gratification. 

A left hand followed the knee, and Henderson’s legs dropped out from underneath him, eyes going googly for just a split second as referee/icon “Big” John McCarthy approached. He had seen more than enough. And, though Henderson would politely protest by running in place immediately thereafter—his faculties returned after McCarthy’s timely intervention—it was the right call in the moment. 

“I went there to fight five rounds, to be patient,” Dos Anjos told Fox Sports 1’s Heidi Androl after the bout. “But if I had the opportunity to finish, I was going to finish. Everything went perfect.”

It was the perfect finish for Dos Anjos—but not for anyone seeking clarity in the UFC’s suddenly crowded lightweight title picture.

Before the fight, Henderson had been ranked No. 1 in the division, just behind champion Anthony Pettis. Behind him was Gilbert Melendez, the Strikeforce champion. Undefeated Dagestani wrestling machine Khabib Nurmagomedov followed, then adrenaline junkie Donald Cerrone, with Dos Anjos bringing up the rear of the top five.

That’s a lot of contenders. But that doesn’t begin to describe the morass. Khabib, you see, has beaten Dos Anjos, who beat Cerrone and Henderson, who beat Melendez, who has beaten no one in the midst of a contract holdout that ended in a guaranteed title shot.

And then there is newcomer Eddie Alvarez, the Bellator champion who makes his promotional debut against Cerrone in September at UFC 178.

It’s quite a crowded scene. So, where does Dos Anjos stand? He’s not quite ready to think about it.

“Right now I need to take some time off. It’s my third fight in four months,” he told Androl. “I need to give some attention right now to my family, my kids.”

It was a polite non-answer, but a non-answer isn’t going to make the question go away. Unfortunately, despite this knockout win, Dos Anjos has essentially none of the attributes the UFC looks for in a title contender. He’s not a dynamic communicator and, when all things are considered, will likely be pushed behind the winner of Cerrone-Alvarez, two men with charisma to spare.

And they must wait for Melendez and Pettis to finally enter the cage after almost a year on the sideline. 

If Dos Anjos is going to step into the cage for the belt, it will likely be in late 2015—or beyond. That means he’ll have to continue fighting, and winning, to keep his spot in a long line. That’s okay, though. If the Henderson fight is any indication, he’s got the fighting part all figured out.

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Benson Henderson vs. Rafael dos Anjos: Full Fight Video Highlights

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 Khabib Nurmagomedov.

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.

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UFC Fight Night 49 Results: 3 Fights for Rafael Dos Anjos to Take Next

Rafael dos Anjos pulled off a huge upset Saturday night with his first-round TKO over former lightweight champion Benson Henderson.
Dos Anjos was ranked No. 5 in the division going into the fight, and Henderson was ranked No. 1. This win is sure to mov…

Rafael dos Anjos pulled off a huge upset Saturday night with his first-round TKO over former lightweight champion Benson Henderson.

Dos Anjos was ranked No. 5 in the division going into the fight, and Henderson was ranked No. 1. This win is sure to move dos Anjos up in the rankings, possibly into the top three.

Dos Anjos finds himself in a difficult position now, as there are few fighters ranked higher than him that he could fight next. He will likely have to face an opponent ranked lower in the division, but there are plenty of options that could make for great fights.

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Benson Henderson vs. Rafael Dos Anjos: What We Learned from the Lightweight Tilt

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 Khabib Nurmagomedov, 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.

 

Follow me on Twitter @matthewjryder!

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