Though he stole the lightweight title from Frankie Edgar back in February and then defended the strap in an August rematch, Ben Henderson’s role as champion has largely been perceived as unconsummated.Perhaps it was a result of not having defended the …
Though he stole the lightweight title from Frankie Edgar back in February and then defended the strap in an August rematch, Ben Henderson’s role as champion has largely been perceived as unconsummated.
Perhaps it was a result of not having defended the title against anyone but the man he won it from. Or perhaps it was because both fights with Edgar were decided by the narrowest of margins.
Whatever the reason, Henderson’s authority as champion was quite precarious heading into UFC on Fox 5’s main event this Saturday night.
All that is now, as they say, ancient history.
Henderson turned what was expected to be a hotly contested battle into an absolute rout, completely shutting down opponent Nate Diaz at every corner and nearly stopping him with strikes on a couple of occasions.
The performance was impressive enough that what was once begrudging acknowledgement of Henderson’s championship role should quickly turn to immediate, universal acceptance.
The question therefore changes from one of legitimacy to one of direction—now that Henderson is an undisputed champion, where does he go from here?
The UFC’s 155-pound weight class is loaded with talent and stacked with viable contenders, and there is certainly no shortage of options available for Henderson’s next match. The most appealing scenario though, has to be a rematch with Anthony Pettis.
Pettis is scheduled to take on Donald Cerrone at UFC on Fox 6 next January. A win would be his third in a row, which would likely be good enough to land him a title shot.
What makes Henderson vs. Pettis a desirable option is that the two have a history together. Pettis not only handed Henderson his last professional loss, he put an exclamation on the victory with the now famous off-the-wall-head-kick in the closing moments of the bout.
The potential rematch would feature two extremely dynamic fighters and comes with a ready-made revenge angle to market it from.
What’s not to like?
Alternatively, Gray Maynard could receive attention as Henderson’s next opponent. Maynard, however, recently suffered a knee injury that forced him to withdraw from a contest later this month.
His impending inactivity means the only way he’ll be ushered to the front of the line is if Pettis loses to Cerrone and the UFC feels that there is no viable candidate to challenge Henderson. In that case Maynard might become the default option even if he cannot actively build a case for himself anytime soon.
An under-the-radar possibility for Henderson’s next fight is that he could welcome Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez to the UFC in the spring. A unification bout seems inevitable given Strikeforce’s impending demise; it’s really just a question of when that will occur.
For now, the Pettis scenario looks the most realistic. And lucky us, it’s definitely the most intriguing possibility (not withstanding a Jose Aldo jump to 155).
All Pettis has to do to make it a reality is beating Cerrone in January.
During one of the outright best main cards put together in the UFC’s short history on Fox, we witnessed a true changing of the guard.In the co-main event of the night, B.J. Penn was horribly outclassed by the young Rory MacDonald, visibly wilting in th…
During one of the outright best main cards put together in the UFC’s short history on Fox, we witnessed a true changing of the guard.
In the co-main event of the night, B.J. Penn was horribly outclassed by the young Rory MacDonald, visibly wilting in the second round of their fight as the massive Canadian landed knees, kicks, hooks and jabs seemingly at will.
Several Penn fans could only look on in horror as the UFC legend was beaten and bullied, at one point almost forcing referee Herb Dean to step in and stop the fight standing.
In three rounds of dominant aggression and showboating, MacDonald made it clear that he’s a top welterweight, simultaneously edging Penn closer to irrelevance.
Although the former light heavyweight champion put in an incredibly gutsy effort against Alexander Gustafsson, “Shogun” simply didn’t have enough power or speed to beat the Swede.
Still, Gustafsson didn’t outclass Rua as badly as MacDonald did to Penn (and this author certainly doesn’t think “The Mauler” has much for Jon Jones), but it was an impressive feat nonetheless.
Seattle’s KeyArena hosted one of the best fight cards this year at UFC on Fox 5, and when we look back at this night, we’ll remember it as two things: the night that Penn’s legacy died, and the night that Shogun Rua’s legend started to fade away.
Both men have given the best of themselves to MMA fans over the years, so neither one has anything to be ashamed about.
Penn fought outside of his natural weight class against an opponent who dramatically outclassed him in guts, size and strength.
Rua’s battle-worn body and crippled knees held up through three rounds of punishment against a man who Forrest Griffin famously declared no one wanted to fight.
Hopefully, Penn lives out a peaceful life of waning fame during his retirement years.
And when Shogun Rua hangs up his gloves for good, he should be remembered as one of the greatest light heavyweights in the sport’s history, if not one of the all-time greats.
Sure, there’s still plenty of old-timers sticking around like Anderson Silva, Frank Mir, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Dan Henderson, Rich Franklin, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva. But Saturday night—and the future—belongs to the young guns of the sport.
McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist and FightFans Radio writer. His work has appeared in GamePro, Macworld and PC World. Talk with him on Twitter.
In the main event of UFC on FOX 5, Benson Henderson defended his lightweight title against No. 1 contender Nate Diaz.The fight was billed as a near even contest, but it was anything but. Henderson thoroughly outclassed Diaz for five straight rounds and…
In the main event of UFC on FOX 5, Benson Henderson defended his lightweight title against No. 1 contender Nate Diaz.
The fight was billed as a near even contest, but it was anything but. Henderson thoroughly outclassed Diaz for five straight rounds and cruised to an easy and convincing decision victory.
What we’ll remember from this fight:
Henderson’s performance separates him from the rest of a congested lightweight division.
While his victories over Frankie Edgar allowed some to doubt his championship legitimacy, his win over Diaz does not. It was convincing in every sense of the word and may just get Henderson mentioned in some pound-for-pound talks.
What we learned about Diaz:
As impressive as his recent three-fight win streak was, he’s clearly not on the same level as the division’s top fighter.
His reliance on punching through his opponent’s defense and favoring submission attempts over takedown defense might not cut it against bigger, longer and more athletic competitors like the champ.
He’s still a top contender in the lightweight division though.
What we learned about Henderson:
He’s now an undisputed champion. His performance was dominant and he showed off just how well-rounded he is.
Henderson was able to better Diaz in all facets of the fight and really looks like he could be suiting up for a long title run.
What’s next for Diaz:
There are no shortage of viable fights at 155. If Joe Lauzon beats Jim Miller he might make a suitable opponent.
What’s next for Henderson:
He’ll get whoever separates from the pack. We could be in for Henderson vs. Anthony Pettis II.
It was a bitter rivalry that saw some insults and harsh words hurled at one another. It was a battle of prospect and legend. Simply, it was Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn.When it was all said and done, MacDonald walked away with a clear-cut unanimous dec…
It was a bitter rivalry that saw some insults and harsh words hurled at one another. It was a battle of prospect and legend. Simply, it was Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn.
When it was all said and done, MacDonald walked away with a clear-cut unanimous decision.
What we’ll remember about this fight
The size difference. It wasn’t a barn burner of a fight, nor was it a snoozer. However, the fight itself wasn’t anything to write home about. It looked like MacDonald was two weight classes above Penn. Penn definitely needs to move back down to 155 to be successful.
What we learned about Rory MacDonald
Rory MacDonald is a beast and rapidly evolving into a great fighter. I thought Penn’s boxing would be better than MacDonald’s standup, but that was not the case. MacDonald will be a champion if Georges St. Pierre drops the title at some point.
What we learned about B.J. Penn
He needs to fight at 155. Rory MacDonald made him look like a baby in this fight. BJ is as tough as they come, but lightweight is definitely the weight class to fight at.
What’s next for Penn
Any fight at lightweight. Seriously, no specific fighter. Just anybody at lightweight.
What’s next for MacDonald
Johny Hendricks. He wants GSP, but Rory would be a better opponent. The winner should get a title shot, but Rory won’t fight GSP.
(Sometimes I look at Nate Diaz and think, “y’know, there’s a guy who probably hasn’t heard the Good News about Jesus Christ.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Old legends and young lions. Guys with angel wings on their backs and guys with middle fingers in your face. Hot-headed blood lickers, and reasonable folks who understand the health risks of such behavior. It’s UFC on FOX 5 — a card so good that you don’t even need lazy storylines to sell it.
Running our “Henderson vs. Diaz” liveblog is New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame inducteeJim Genia(congrats Jim!), who will be throwin’ down live results from the FOX main card after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and toss your own thoughts and observations in the comments section.
(Sometimes I look at Nate Diaz and think, “y’know, there’s a guy who probably hasn’t heard the Good News about Jesus Christ.” / Photo via CombatLifestyle. For more photos from this set, click here.)
Old legends and young lions. Guys with angel wings on their backs and guys with middle fingers in your face. Hot-headed blood lickers, and reasonable folks who understand the health risks of such behavior. It’s UFC on FOX 5 — a card so good that you don’t even need lazy storylines to sell it.
Running our “Henderson vs. Diaz” liveblog is New Jersey Martial Arts Hall of Fame inducteeJim Genia(congrats Jim!), who will be throwin’ down live results from the FOX main card after the jump beginning at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest, and toss your own thoughts and observations in the comments section.
What up, spuds. ‘Tis I, Jim Genia. Here are the results from the undercard:
-Yves Edwards def. Jeremy Stephens via KO (Punches) at 1:55, Round 1
-Raphael Assuncao def. Mike Easton via Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
-Ramsey Nijem def. Joe Proctor via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
-Daron Cruickshank def. Henry Martinez via KO (Kick) at 2:57, Round 2
-Abel Trujillo def. Marcus LeVesseur via TKO (Knees) at 3:56, Round 2
-Dennis Siver def. Nam Phan via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-25, 30-24)
-Scott Jorgensen def. John Albert via Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 4:59, Round 1
And now, the main card, which is probably the best selection of fights Zuffa has ever given to FOX for airing for free.
First up, Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick:
You know and love Swick from his time on the seminal TUF season and the years of beatings both given and received in the Octagon. You know Brown for pretty much the same thing, although his coming out party was at TUF 7. We’ve seen them bang in impressive fashion, but Father Time has got to be taking his toll these grizzled dudes, so the question is: who’s still got enough grit left to pull out the win?
Round 1: After about 30 seconds of feeling each other out, Swick and Brown begin taking turns lunging in and winging punches. Neither really connects though, so Brown grabs one of his opponent’s legs and dumps him on the canvas, and works into side-control. From there Brown slips on a tight-as-hell D’Arce choke. Swick is stuck defending the technique while in Brown’s guard. He guts his way out of it, but not long after Brown has him in an even tighter triangle choke. Somehow, some way, Swick survives, and with 3o seconds left they get back to their feet and pepper each other with short punches and knees from the clinch. Ding, end of round.
Round 2: Brown comes out and starts Muay Thai-ing the crap out of Swick, which is weird because doesn’t Swick live in Thailand or something? Anyway, what can Brown do for you? I dunno, but for Swick it’s elbows and knees and some smothering clinch-work. Swick seems to fade fast, and while he’s walking backwards, Brown tags him with a left hook on the chin and a right hand in the grill, and Swick is out and probably dreaming of a better Pad Thai than you and I will ever know.
Matt Brown def. Mike Swick via KO (Punches) at 2:31, Round 2
Next, BJ Penn vs. Rory MacDonald:
What more can I say about Penn that hasn’t been said? The man’s a legend, he’s accomplished more in the sport than most can ever dream of, and when he bleeds, he bleeds grape-flavored Hawaiian Punch. MacDonald is supposedly one of the next big things, but screw that. BJ, dispatch this clown.
Round 1: Penn comes straight across the cage and goes for a takedown. MacDonald shrugs it off, and from his upper-body control, it becomes apparent that his size and height advantage is going to make it hard for Penn to move him around. They two create some space, and for the next two minutes MacDonald uses his reach to land some low kicks, a high-kick to the head that the former lightweight- and welterweight champ shrugs off, some jabs and elbows. Penn gets some good licks in, but it’s almost all MacDonald, and the young upstart wobbles the Hawaiian with an elbow with about 45 seconds left in the round. They make it to the bell, but yeesh, Penn is getting hurt.
Round 2: MacDonald stalks Penn into the cage, and with jabs and kicks, begins to have his way with him. Penn doesn’t circle, doesn’t really move his head, and aside from a right hand here and there, he’s a sitting duck. MacDonald cracks him to the body with a kick at the midway mark of the round, and Penn nearly crumbles, staying upright only to eat more painful body blows. With 38 seconds in the frame MacDonald grabs Penn and dumps him onto the canvas, and he feeds him short punches until the bell.
Round 3: Penn comes close with a single-leg takedown right out of the gate, but MacDonald gets out of it and tries to hug him to death against the cage. Referee Herb Dean seperates them, and MacDonald resumes hurting Penn with strikes from the outside. With all the confidence in the world, MacDonald shuffles his feet and throws question-mark kicks, Superman punches and just about anything else he wants, and all Penn can do is walk around and take it. And then the bell sounds and it’s all over, and I go to my room and cry.
Rory MacDonald def. BJ Penn via Unanimous Decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
Next, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Alexander Gustafsson:
Shogun was, at one time, one of the best in the world. Now he’s a walking pile of barely connected bones, ligaments and aged muscles. Will the big Swede striker be the one to finally make the Brazilian collapse into a heaps of twisted flesh in the cage?
Round 1: Apparently Shogun watched Penn’s fight on the monitor backstage and said “I ain’t going out like that.” Within the first 30 seconds of the bout Gustafsson sends him to the canvas on his butt, but Shogun swivels into a heelhook attempt that the Swede has to seriously work to get out of – and when he does, the former PRIDE and UFC champ almost takes his back and manages to land a sweet knee to the chops when they’re against the fence. They make some space and throw strikes, with Shogun opting to cover up, eat whatever his opponent throws so he can wade in and land something himself. It’s a dangerous ploy, and he winds up bleeding from his nose – but still very much in the game – by the time the round ends.
Round 2: Winging overhand rights and lefts, Shogun re-establishes himself as a threat to the taller fighter. Gustafsson almost hip tosses him two minutes in, but a flubbed takedown attempt soon after has Shogun on his back regardless. They work back to their feet and Gustafsson nails two takedowns and bangs his foe up with some ground and pound, and when Shogun stands the taller fighter just blasts him, wobbling him with knees and punches. The bell sounds with Shogun that much worse for wear.
Round 3: Gustafsson resumes dinging Shogun up, and when Shogun fights back with more overhand rights, the Swede takes him down and tries to work him over there. They get back to their feet and the dance continues, with Shogun trying to land that big money shot and Gustafsson alternating between strikes from outside and successful takedowns. About midway through the round Gustafsson lands a shot to Shogun’s liver, which turns the Brazilian into the Walking Dead while Gustafsson lands whatever he wants. A front kick to the face, jabs, and takedowns – Gustafsson does it all, and time expires with Shogun on the bottom and fighting like maybe he should have retired a year and a half ago.
Alexander Gustafsson def. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
Next, Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz:
Henderson won the UFC lightweight title by narrowly defeating Frankie Edgar, and reiterated his claim to the belt by defeating Edgar in another close fight and razor-thin decision. Diaz ain’t about that life, though. Diaz will beat you up in the parking lot, kiss your girl and smoke your pot, and there’s nothing you can do about it so you might as well start packing your bong now, son. Ahem.
Round 1: Henderson wastes no time throwing kicks to Diaz’s legs, and Diaz wastes no time taunting him and tying him up against the cage. They trade knees while jockeying for advantage, and this goes on for about two minutes. Diaz makes some distance and lands an elbow, and Henderson manages two takedowns and some hard ground and pound. The fine upstanding citizen from Stockton gets back to his feet, but he remains open to leg-kicks, and Bendo drops him with one. Diaz is up again, and the round expires with the two pressed up against the cage.
Round 2: The champ muscles the challenger to the mat about 30 seconds into the round, and when Diaz rises, he throws a kick to the head that Diaz barely blocks. They wrestle a bit on the feet, and when they seperate the two trade some strikes and it almost seems like the TUF winner is starting to find his boxing groove. But no, Henderson resumes kicking the crap out of his leg, than drops him with a knuckle sandwich and pounds on him. Diaz survives, gets vertical and scores with a sweet judo throw, but Henderson scrambles back up and continues his dominance.
Round 3: Henderson opens up with another leg-kick, Diaz answers back with some of his bread and butter punches, and at a minute in the champ hits a takedown and drops bombs. Back on their feet and then another takedown, and it’s clear Diaz’s guard is ill-equipped to deal with the heat Henderson brings from above. Diaz rolls and works into a leglock attempt that morphs into a toehold. Henderson expertly escapes, fends off another heelhook attempt, and when they stand once more Bendo drops Diaz with a right hand. With time running out, Henderson lands an axe-kick to Diaz’s body, and then the bell sounds.
Round 4: Henderson gets a takedown against the fence about 35 seconds into the round, batters Diaz whenever Diaz turtles, and repeats the whole process when they get back up. The Cesar Gracie black belt has maybe one half-ass kimura attempt and heelhook attempt, but that’s it, and you have to wonder if Diaz should maybe consider moving down to 145 pounds.
Round 5: They’re up against the cage early, and with 3:30 left on the clock Henderson hoists Diaz up and slams him like a pimp shaking down one of his hookers. Diaz scores with one hip throw, but the champ scrambles to safety, and other than that one brief moment of brilliance, the challenger is nothing more than a grappling dummy that curses a lot. And then time runs out and it’s all over.
Benson Henderson def. Nick Diaz via Unanimous Decision (50-43, 50-45, 50-45)
The “Detroit Superstar” dished out a taste of cold, hard steel at UFC on Fox 5 Saturday night.In the second round of their catchweight battle, Daron Cruickshank landed a high kick on the theretofore unbreakable skull of Henry Martinez to earn the knock…
The “Detroit Superstar” dished out a taste of cold, hard steel at UFC on Fox 5 Saturday night.
In the second round of their catchweight battle, Daron Cruickshank landed a high kick on the theretofore unbreakable skull of Henry Martinez to earn the knockout victory.
The fight was originally supposed to be contested at lightweight, but it happened at 158.8 pounds instead after Martinez substantially missed the official 155-pound weight target. As a result, Martinez surrendered 20 percent of his fight purse.
The lanky Cruickshank (12-2) opened a cut on the forehead of Martinez (9-3) in the first round, then later punished Martinez against the fence with kicks, knees and uppercuts. Martinez proved hard-headed, though, and hung in. But when Cruickshank faked a shot to the body and then went upstairs, the lights finally went off.
What we’ll remember about this fight
No brain required on this one—Cruickshank‘s big head kick.
What we learned about Daron Cruickshank
This contestant from The Ultimate Fighter 15 now has a six-fight win streak behind him. He’s still just 27 and looking better each time he fights. It was his seventh win by TKO, but this one proved he can do it and do it well at the UFC level.
What we learned about Henry Martinez
He’s 29 and is now 1-2 in the UFC. He has one heck of a thick beard, but after missing weight and being so fully outclassed, he may want to go back to the drawing board for his next engagement.
What’s next for Cruickshank
How about another exciting, young up-and-comer in Anton Kuivanen?
Though he stole the lightweight title from Frankie Edgar back in February and then defended the strap in an August rematch, Ben Henderson’s role as champion has largely been perceived as unconsummated.
