Anthony Pettis-Benson Henderson
OLD BOXING SAYING APPLIES TO UFC TOO!
San Francisco, CA– The old adage you’ve heard for an eternity when it comes to the fight game is, “Styles Make Fights.” That being said, Anthony Petiis, while he had beaten UFC lightweight (155 lb.) champion Benson Henderson a few years ago via submission, was not the unanimous of MMA pundits to beat Hendo. No, most felt Henderson had upped up his game and Pettis may have flatlined.
PETTIS GOT “LITTLE RESPECT” GOING IN
While a few picked Pettis, overall Hendo was the betting choice to win and then rematch ex-Strikeforce king Gilbert Melendez, who dropped a controversial nod to Henderson earlier this year. As for the fought itself, Benson (19-3, 7-2 UFC) started strong and was using the cage to his advantage as he worked Pettis over a bit.
THUNDEROUS KICKS PAVED WAY FOR SUBMISSION
When they got “off the cage,” Pettis started landing some incredible kicks that tilted the see-saw his way. Once he was on the offense, Pettis (17-2, 4-1 UFC) was cracking the body, mainly Henderson’s rib cage with his feet. When the fight went to the mat, Pettis cinched up an arm bar (right) and Henderson had to vocally surrender prompting the stoppage at 4:31 of round 1.
CHAMP HAS LITTLE TIME TO RELAX AS “EL NINO” WAITS!
Undaunted by the media and press releases, Pettis took his game to another plateau and with the aforementioned Gilbert Melendez waiting in the wings, he will have to keep it there to hold on to the UFC lightweight (155 lb.) championship.
BARNETT STOPS MIR AS EX-UFC HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPS CLASH
With both Josh Barnett and Frank Mir at a “crossroads” point in their perspective careers, there was a lot on the line as these two ex-UFC heavyweight (205 +) champions met in the UFC 164 semi-main event. Mir, 34, and Barnett, 35, having both lost recent fights to unbeaten Daniel Cormier (14-0), this was “make or break.” That being said, Barnett (33-8) stopped Mir (18-8) with a barrage of punches at the 1:58 mark of the opening round. Mir has dropped three straight, Barnett who can fight and talk a good game, has now won twice since losing in the Strikeforce Grand Prix heavyweight finale last year.
UFC HEAVYWEIGHT GATEKEEPER “BIG BEN” WINS
Ben Rothwell TKO 3 Brandon Vera (punches) Time: 1:54.
SON OF UFC LEGEND RANDY COUTURE “SHUTOUT”
Al Iaquinta UD 3 Ryan Couture. Scores were 30-27 across the board!
FULL CARD RESULTS
Dustin Poirier UD 3 Erik Koch. Scores were 29-28 & 29-27 twice.
Chad Mendes TKO 3 Clay Guida (punches) Time: 1:30
Gleison Tibau Split Decision 3 Jamie Varner Scores were 29-28 twice for Tibau, 29-27 Varner.
Chico Camus UD 3 Kyung Ho Kang. Sxcores: 29-28, 29-28, 30-27.
Soa Palelei TKO 3 Nikita Krylov (punches) Time: 1:34
Tim Elliott UD 3 Louis Gaudinot. Scores: 30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Hyun Gyu Lim TKO 1 Pascal Krauss (strikes) Time was 3:58.
Magnus Cedenblad Sub 1 Jared Hamman. (guillotine choke) Time: 0:57