On Saturday night Benson Henderson and Frankie Edgar will throw leather to determine who becomes champion of the UFC lightweight division.
Edgar, who feels he did enough to win the first go around, will be looking to display the type of rematch magic he’s become synonymous with.
Henderson, on the other hand, will hope to repeat his effective performance from the first bout and erase any questions about him being the true champion of the division.
Both have traveled different roads to the top of the 155-pound weight class. Here is a look at how they got there.
Benson Henderson
Every step of the journey has been about respect for Henderson. From his time as king of the “little blue cage” to his current reign atop the UFC lightweight division, “Smooth” has been on a mission to show and prove.
Over this stretch, Henderson has amassed a 9-1 record, with his only loss coming in a closely contested matchup with Anthony “Showtime” Pettis.
Despite consistently facing tough opposition and always putting on exciting fights, Henderson has vocalized his opinion the WEC crossovers have never been given the same amount of respect as their UFC counterparts. When he made his Octagon debut against a gritty Mark Bocek, Henderson’s mission to turn the UFC lightweight division on its ear began.
After defeating Bocek, Henderson was given the task of derailing Jim Miller.
The New Jersey native was tearing his way through the division and poised for a title shot if he could dispatch the former WEC champion. Henderson worked Miller from bell to bell, as he not only earned the lopsided decision, but put the rest of the 155-pound weight class on notice.
The next obstacle on his way to the top came against fan favorite Clay Guida on the inaugural UFC on Fox card last November.
In this action packed affair which went the full 15 minutes, both men battled fiercely as they attempted to impose their will on one another. While Guida bent, he did not break, but it wasn’t enough to stop Henderson from claiming his third consecutive victory in the UFC.
Following this performance, UFC President Dana White announced Henderson would get the next crack at the lightweight title held by Frankie Edgar. The bout was named as the main event of UFC 144, which held special significance because it was the organization’s return to Japan.
In the bout with Edgar, Henderson got off to a slow start. After two close rounds, Henderson landed an extremely well-timed upkick late in the second frame which turned the tide of the fight. In the final two rounds Henderson turned up the output and was able to get the better of Edgar in the majority of exchanges.
The damage he created was enough to seal the deal, and when the judge’s scores were announced, Henderson became the new king of the lightweight division.
Henderson presents a style which has been a nightmare to his opposition. He approaches the fight with a funky mixture of wrestling, submission skills and well-timed striking. These attributes, in addition to a cardio which never fails, make Henderson a difficult opponent to prepare for.
While light heavyweight Lyoto Machida is often credited with being the biggest mystery in MMA, Henderson is well on his way to creating a mystique of his own.
Frankie Edgar
In the days when B.J. Penn was considered the greatest lightweight on the planet, few gave Edgar much of a look.
The Toms River, NJ native was defeating tough competition, but a loss to Gray Maynard in his fourth UFC appearance shuffled Edgar towards the back of the division.
He fired back strong with a victory over Hermes Franca, but it was his dominant performance against former champion Sean Sherk which made the UFC sit up and take notice. More than being just a fighter on the rise, Edgar’s improved boxing skills showed he was evolving at a rapid rate.
After making short work of Matt Veach, he was awarded the unenviable task of facing Penn at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi. Few believed Edgar could pull off the feat of dethroning “The Prodigy,” but when the final bell sounded, Edgar had done enough to be crowned the new lightweight champion.
The victory over Penn put the MMA world in shock, and the UFC granted the former two-divisional champion an immediate opportunity to get his belt back.
Just as few gave Edgar a chance in their first meeting, the same sentiment echoed in their second bout. This time around Edgar not only defeated Penn, but dominated him the process as he became the true undisputed champion of the division.
With the title secure, Edgar would next look to avenge the only loss of his career when he faced Gray Maynard at UFC 125.
Where their first fight was decided with wrestling, their second match became an instant classic, as Edgar battled back from an epic beating in the opening round, only to bounce back and take the fight to the wire. When the scores were read, the fight resulted in a draw, leaving unfinished business between the two top lightweights and creating yet another rematch for Edgar.
The decisive trilogy bout was pushed back with both men suffering injuries, but the score was finally settled at UFC 136 in October.
Much like their last meeting, Maynard found Edgar’s chin on multiple occasions, putting him on the ropes in the opening frame. But unlike the last go around, Edgar was able to break Maynard down until he eventually finished “The Bully” with a knockout in the fourth round.
No sooner than Edgar had put his greatest rivalry to rest, a new contender emerged in Henderson.
In their bout at UFC 144, Edgar was able to utilize his takedowns early and often. He was also able to score while staying out of danger until the upkick landed and put him down. The rest of the bout was an uphill battle for Edgar, and time ran out before he could turn the tide back in his favor.
The judge’s scores were read and he watched as his coveted title was strapped around Henderson’s waist.
Over the past two years, Edgar has shown tremendous heart, an iron chin and an unbreakable spirit. As the perpetual underdog, he has been pummeled and beaten, only to rise to the occasion time after time.
One of the smallest fighters in the weight class, Edgar has capitalized on excellent footwork and his ability to move in and out. He will need to be firing on all cylinders if he hopes to reclaim the lightweight title.
Henderson vs. Edgar 2
In this matchup, we have the lion-hearted former champion against the future of the division.
Henderson’s funky and dangerous-at-all-times style vs. Edgar’s unflappable determination and will to succeed.
On Saturday night, we will find out who has what it takes to make it out of the Octagon as the UFC lightweight champion.
These are the paths they have taken to the top, and those roads intersect on a collision course this Saturday night at UFC 150 in Denver.
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