Benson Henderson is the least dominant champion in the UFC. And that is at the same time an insult and a compliment.
More than anything, however, it’s a fact. In three lightweight title defenses, Henderson has won two split decisions, including Saturday night’s victory over Gilbert Melendez at UFC on FOX 7. He won the belt from Frankie Edgar in February 2012 and though that fight was a unanimous decision many felt Edgar won.
Almost every time Henderson fights it’s close. Almost every time Henderson fights, a segment of the MMA population believes he lost. Yet just about every time he fights, he wins.
Statistically, with the way judges work in this sport, that’s impressive, if not an anomaly. It isn’t like Henderson is very judge-friendly. He pushes the pace, but is hardly Wanderlei Silva with his attacks. Henderson’s main weapon is the leg kick, which many uneducated judges find pointless.
Of course, if you ask Melendez he’ll tell you those kicks very much had a point. The Californian’s lead leg was torn up by Henderson in San Jose, swollen, bruised and battered. But Melendez, like many fans and media members, will also claim he won Saturday night, too.
Henderson’s fights are never boring. For the most part, he is exciting. But he doesn’t usually do a ton of damage to his opponents and hasn’t finished anyone in three years, before he was in the UFC. He rarely even looks to finish, which doesn’t necessarily make him conservative either, if that makes sense.
Henderson’s aggression is controlled. His attacks are effective if not devastating. His style is fast-paced if not overwhelming.
Some would say Henderson does just enough to win; some say he doesn’t do nearly enough.
In that way, he’s hard to market for the UFC. But the lightweight division is the deepest and best in the world. Henderson has no shortage of challengers. One of them is bound to figure out a way to win one mor round than him.
Or maybe not. Maybe Henderson will remain the UFC’s cardiac kid for a long time.
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The crowd booed Daniel Cormier after his dominant unanimous decision win over Frank Mir. Cormier himself said he turned in somewhat of a clunker. I think that’s nonsense. Frank Mir is still an elite, dangerous heavyweight. He came into the fight in excellent shape, with training from a new camp in Jackson’s MMA, and showed more athleticism and creativity in his striking than he ever has.
And still Cormier bullied him, pushing him up against the fence, battering him with dirty boxing, kneeing him in the midsection at will. Never mind that Mir is almost 30 pounds heavier. If this is how Cormier looks in a bad fight, it’s frightening to think of what the former Olympic wrestler can accomplish in MMA.
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No one came out looking better on FOX on Saturday night than Josh Thomson. Not Henderson. Not Cormier. Thomson’s stock went through the roof after knocking out Nate Diaz in the second round with a head kick and some punches. Diaz had never been stopped due to strikes in his entire career and finished only once previously – back in 2006.
It was a great night for Strikeforce alums with Cormier winning and Melendez right there with Henderson. But Thomson might have done more than both. Diaz was coming off a title fight and Thomson put himself right there among the UFC’s contenders with the dominant performance. People forget how quick and athletic Thomson is. He’s definitely still got it at 34.
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The first round between Matt Brown and Jordan Mein was one of the most exciting you’ll ever see. Mein almost finished Brown with a liver punch. Brown almost locked in a triangle choke from the bottom. Both men’s faces were bloody and bruised up. It was completely wild.
Then Brown, the 32-year-old veteran, took the 23-year-old Mein to school, finishing him with strikes in the second round. Brown looks better and better every fight, which is impressive for a guy who should have peaked years ago. He’s in the welterweight title conversation now.
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Give Duane Ludwig a raise. Team Alpha Male fighters went 3-0, all with devastating knockouts Saturday night. Chad Mendes destroyed Darren Elkins, Joseph Benavidez beat up Darren Uyenoyama and TJ Dillashaw walked through Hugo Viana. The camp’s striking skills have improved drastically since Ludwig, a UFC veteran, became head coach.
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UFC on FOX 7 tied the company record with eight knockouts. The prelims were wild – only two fights went to decision. The card was billed as one of the best on paper all year and it delivered in a big way. Brown-Mein won “Fight of the Night” and two “Knockout of the Night” bonuses were given out: one to Thomson and one to Yoel Romero, who starched Clifford Starks with a flying knee in the curtain jerker.