Tag: UFC 150

Henderson vs. Edgar Results: Champ Continues Dominant Run Despite Controversy

Not everyone agrees with the decision of the Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar bout, but you cannot doubt Henderson’s record.The UFC lightweight champ has been a part of some incredible fights, and his most recent one was no different. The two men wen…

Not everyone agrees with the decision of the Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar bout, but you cannot doubt Henderson’s record.

The UFC lightweight champ has been a part of some incredible fights, and his most recent one was no different. The two men went toe-to-toe for five full rounds, but Henderson was able to come out on top at the end.

Many fans have argued with this decision in what was obviously a very close match. According to Fight Metrics, Edgar landed more strikes, but it was by a very narrow margin. The site lists Edgar having a 70-65 advantage on strikes and 66-62 advantage on significant strikes.

However, UFC aired statistics directly after the match, and it said that Henderson had actually landed more strikes. This is why there are multiple people making the final decision.

Fight Metrics also has a “Total Performance Rating,” in which Henderson edged his rival by a score of 41-40 out of 100.

This sport allows for some controversy in its style, but the two fighters have now faced each other twice and Henderson has been declared the winner each time.

“Smooth” has done his best over the past two years to earn the top spot in the lightweight division, and he should be considered one of the better competitors in the sport.

Since losing his WEC championship to Anthony Pettis, Henderson has won his last five fights, spanning almost two years. His overall record is a very respectable 17-2, including eight wins by submission.

His style rarely looks pretty. He has succeeded by avoiding bad situations and usually just having more endurance than his competitor. However, he has the most important skill in MMA: he knows what it takes to win.

Judges obviously like his performances, as he has earned the nod on multiple close contests. He is solid at landing strikes with both his hands and feet, and he does everything necessary to get the victory.

Henderson has not been dominant in his individual matches, but his current run can be considered dominant. He should start earning the respect of a champion.

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Henderson vs. Edgar 2 Results: The Answer Gets Screwed, Smooth Retains Title

Frankie Edgar fought well and deserved to win back the UFC lightweight title at UFC 150. Benson Henderson, with some controversy involved, retained his title after a split decision, winning 48-47 on two cards and losing 49-46 on the third. Yes, it was …

Frankie Edgar fought well and deserved to win back the UFC lightweight title at UFC 150. Benson Henderson, with some controversy involved, retained his title after a split decision, winning 48-47 on two cards and losing 49-46 on the third.

Yes, it was a great and close fight, an exciting back-and-forth main event that didn’t disappoint.

But then there is that pesky little detail about how Frankie “The Answer” Edgar controlled the fight for most of the bout. Henderson himself didn’t know whether or not he was the winner until the announcement was made.

“Of course, you always have concern when it goes to the judges,” Henderson said, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.

After another five rounds, it is even harder to tell who the better fighter between the two is.

For a fight that Henderson was outmatched in for most of, he should have been concerned.

According to FightMetric’s fight stats, Edgar landed 66 significant strikes to Henderson’s 62 and 70 total strikes Henderson’s 65. He also took down Henderson two times to his single takedown, had the edge in grappling and attempted two submissions to the lone attempt by Henderson.

The analysis tool scored the fight with a 48-48 draw. However, it narrowly gave the win to Frankie Edgar.

Oddly, the figures displayed by the UFC calculations indicated Henderson was the aggressor and landed more punches. This is the information the judges were working with to make their decision.

If their information was incorrect, was their split decision also incorrect?

MMATorch Editor-in-Chief Jamie Penick claims that this decision is one of the worst title fight decisions in UFC history. He also said, “No one had this fight for Henderson.”

How does Henderson still have the title if the metrics of the fight appear to favor Edgar and the look of the fight clearly favored him three rounds to two?

It doesn’t make sense.

And it isn’t going to get any better for Edgar any time soon.

Heading into UFC 150 Dana White promised Nate Diaz would be the next up for a lightweight championship fight, regardless of who came out on top. No more rematches was the message White was sending, according to Damon Martin of MMAWeekly.com.

That’s unfortunate for Edgar’s hopes of retaining the lightweight title any time soon. It’s especially discouraging for him after coming so close in both of his last bouts with Henderson.

The Answer got screwed and will not get another shot anytime soon. Next time, if there is a next time, he needs to take that power away from the judges and knock out Henderson, leaving all doubt out the window.

 

Follow me on Twitter @BigHoagowski

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UFC 150: Top Contenders for Benson Henderson’s Lightweight Title

Benson Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 to retain his lightweight belt, and now that he’s beaten the former champ twice, it’s time to start looking around for his next fight. The fight went the distance and was close with Henderson squeaking…

Benson Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 150 to retain his lightweight belt, and now that he’s beaten the former champ twice, it’s time to start looking around for his next fight.

The fight went the distance and was close with Henderson squeaking out a victory by split decision. It was easily one of the more exciting fights this year.

So what’s next for the lightweight champ?

Here are some of the top contenders in Henderson’s weight class that could give him a run for his money in the Octagon.

 

Frankie Edgar

With two close fights going to decision, Edgar is clearly a worthy competitor for Henderson, but he won’t get another shot this soon.

However, Edgar is still in a special class of fighters in his division, and he has the ability to ascend to the top again.

Look for Edgar to be right back in the title hunt within a year, and as long as Henderson holds on to the belt, look for a third installment of the main event at UFC 150.

 

Nate Diaz

Diaz is on a hot streak, having won his last three fights all by a pretty convincing margin.

After making quick work of Takanori Gomi by submission in the first round, Diaz moved on to fight Donald Cerrone in a match that went the distance. But it wasn’t as close as a decision would dictate, and Diaz picked up the unanimous victory.

His most impressive win came against Jim Miller, as Diaz was the first fighter to stop Miller in his career.

What’s more intriguing is that Miller was able to go the distance with Henderson last year while Diaz was able to stop Miller early. From that standpoint alone, Diaz seems like a worthy competitor and most likely will get the first crack at Henderson.

 

Anthony Pettis

Pettis has already accomplished what no man in the UFC has yet: He beat Henderson. The fight happened in December of 2010 with Pettis grabbing the unanimous decision.

That in itself makes it absolutely necessary that these two square off once again. However, Pettis did have surgery earlier in the year, but he could be ready to go by the end of the summer.

It looks like Pettis might have a match upcoming with Donald Cerrone when he returns, but that’s just the type of fight Pettis needs to warm-up for a potential title match sometime down the road.

Regardless, keep an eye on Pettis as he makes the case for a crack at the belt.

 

Gray Maynard

Maynard had two cracks at the lightweight belt when Edgar was the champ—one result was a draw, the other saw Maynard get stopped in the third round.

But such close contests with the former champ makes it likely that Maynard will be considered for another title shot sometime down the road, if not now.

He recently beat Clay Guida by a split decision and has an impressive 11-1-1 career record with the loss and the draw both coming against a champion.

Maynard has already proven he can hang with the best, and if he was able to go the distance with Edgar, he could very well do the same against Henderson.

 

Gilbert Melendez

Also considered one of the best lightweights on the planet, Melendez is currently in Strikeforce and doesn’t appear to be leaving anytime soon.

So that leaves one option if you want to see Melendez in the Octagon: Kidnap him.

In all seriousness, Melendez and Henderson would be an epic showdown between two undisputed champs, easily making it the fight of the year in many circles.

Melendez has won his last seven fights and it’s clear he is the class of his weight division in Strikeforce. With few opponents left to fight, it’s time to make Melendez-Henderson a reality.

Wishful thinking, I know.

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UFC 150 Results: Dennis Bermudez Proves He Is Rising Star in Mixed Martial Arts

With his submission victory over Tommy Hayden at UFC 150, Dennis Bermudez showed why he is one of the most promising young talents in the featherweight division.Like many of his previous fights, Bermudez was floored early before making a dramatic comeb…

With his submission victory over Tommy Hayden at UFC 150, Dennis Bermudez showed why he is one of the most promising young talents in the featherweight division.

Like many of his previous fights, Bermudez was floored early before making a dramatic comeback. Shortly after the opening bell, he took a vicious knee to the leg and collapsed to the ground. Luckily, he was able to fend off the attacking Hayden and got back on his feet. 

Once he was standing, Bermudez landed a devastating blow of his own, planting a front kick into the gut of Hayden. Hayden was clearly hurt, and it wasn’t long before Bermudez finished him off with a nasty standing guillotine choke.

With the win, Bermudez improved his record to 9-3 (2-0 in UFC).

It was an inspiring victory, and one that was very similar to some of his recent wins. Although it’s not a good habit to get into, Bermudez’s history of winning after getting knocked down early has quickly made him a favorite among hardcore UFC fans.

He is a tough-nosed competitor, and he clearly knows how to handle himself after getting rocked. He’s also a versatile fighter, displaying a good mix of wrestling prowess and pure striking ability.

Bermudez has the skill set to accomplish some special things in the UFC, and at only 25 years old, he’s just now entering his physical prime. He’s not a household name just yet, but you can expect some big things from Dennis “The Menace” Bermudez.

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UFC 150 Results: 4 Fights to Make After Henderson vs. Edgar 2

Well, that was something.This was one of those cases where a fight card that looked somewhat underwhelming on paper ended up (mostly) delivering in full on fight night. Obviously, there were a few dull spots; the Jake Shields/Ed Herman grapple-fes…

Well, that was something.

This was one of those cases where a fight card that looked somewhat underwhelming on paper ended up (mostly) delivering in full on fight night. 

Obviously, there were a few dull spots; the Jake Shields/Ed Herman grapple-fest springs to mind. But by and large, UFC 150 delivered a night chock-full of action, from the preliminary card all the way to the incredibly close main-event title fight.

Let’s take a look at what’s next for some of the winners and losers from UFC 150.

 

BENSON HENDERSON vs. NATE DIAZ

If Frankie Edgar had defeated Henderson in the main event, I would’ve been using this space to call for a third fight between the pair. And I’m almost inclined to do it anyway, just because I’d love to see those two outstanding competitors face off in endless fights between now and the end of time. 

Henderson and Edgar are incredible fighters, and both of their bouts were intriguing chess matches. And I know that a bunch of folks were up in arms that Henderson was awarded the decision. I had the fight scored 48-47 for Henderson, but I was also aware going into the decision that any of the rounds except for the first could have gone either way.

This wasn’t a robbery—it was a close fight, and any number of scorecard variations would have been fine.

So, what’s next? We already know the answer to that question. Henderson has a date in the not-so-distant future with Nate Diaz, and that should be one hell of a fight. As for Edgar?

 

FRANKIE EDGAR vs. CHAD MENDES

Edgar’s moving to featherweight. No question about it at this point. And since Aldo already has a booking with Erik Koch—and since Edgar is coming off two consecutive losses—it makes sense to get Edgar in there with a top-flight featherweight. 

Chad Mendes fits that bill. He’s a contender, and he’s coming off a big win over the hapless Cody McKenzie. Mendes deserves a contender, and Edgar is an instant contender by virtue of being the biggest name in the entire division despite not having actually fought there yet.

Better yet, it sets up a big fight for Aldo in early 2012. 

 

DONALD CERRONE vs. ANTHONY PETTIS

That was one of the best one-minute fights I’ve ever seen in my life. 

Seriously. It’s not even arguable, really. Cerrone vs. Guillard was as full of action and drama as anything I’ve seen out of a short fight in the history of the UFC. From Guillard nearly becoming the first person to knock out Cerrone, to “Cowboy” rebounding and becoming the first person to knock out Guillard, everything about this fight was awesome, and in every way possible.

And now? It’s time for the fight that’s been brewing in the media and on Twitter over the past two weeks: Cerrone vs. Anthony Pettis. Two top-flight lightweights with a serious grudge and a whole lot of skill. Put them in the cage in November or December—perhaps on FOX?—and then give the winner a crack at the Henderson/Diaz victor.

I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

 

JAKE SHIELDS vs. YUSHIN OKAMI

I know what you’re thinking: Putting these two grappling-heavy fighters in the cage against one another is a recipe for pay-per-view disaster. And you might be right.

But there’s also a different scenario that could play out. When you put two grapplers in the cage against one another, a different story of fight sometimes plays out. With the grappling and clinching negated, each fighter is often forced to rely on a different facet of his game. It makes for a markedly more entertaining fight than what you’d expect.

Neither Shields or Okami had the best performance of their careers at UFC 150, but both are still forces to be reckoned with at middleweight. They may not be the kind of forces you actually enjoy watching, but they’re still forces all the same. Pairing them up might not make for an exciting fight, but it would help create another 185-pound contender.

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UFC 150 Results: The Real Winners and Losers

As a business proposition, I don’t feel great about UFC 150. Frankie Edgar has never connected with UFC fans, at least not the kind of connection that inspires fans to buy pay-per-views.Worse still, at least for the UFC’s bank balance, Strikeforce star…

As a business proposition, I don’t feel great about UFC 150. Frankie Edgar has never connected with UFC fans, at least not the kind of connection that inspires fans to buy pay-per-views.

Worse still, at least for the UFC’s bank balance, Strikeforce star Ronda Rousey stole some of the spotlight from Edgar and opponent Benson Henderson, sneaking in like a particularly beautiful thief in the night.

We’ll let the accountants sort out the actual bottom line. Our bottom line involves the fights. And they were amazing. Starting with Nik Lentz and ending with the showdown for the lightweight title, it was another special night for the UFC.

As always the real winners and losers aren’t obvious by a cursory look at the results. The real winners and losers follow—and they may not be exactly who you think they are.

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