In the UFC last night, former Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson overcame a slow start to choke out Rustam Khabilov in the evening’s main event. The co-main event saw Diego Sanchez earn a Split Decision over Ross Pearson, who most observers felt won the fight. At flyweight, John Dodson had another explosive performance that saw him likely earn another shot at Demetrious Johnson and the Flyweight belt.
Dodson showed why they call him ‘The Magician’ as he flashed great striking and shrewd fight control before smashing John Moraga’s nose in with a knee. The doctor’s would not allow Moraga to continue between rounds 2 and 3, such was the damage to his nose. After the fight, Dodson gave his pitch for a title shot, flashing his personality and charisma to the delight of the UFC. With the bantamweight division still light on depth, look for Dodson to get the winner of the Demetrious Johnson faces Ali Bagautinov.
Diego Sanchez did it again, engaging in a fun to watch war with Brit Ross Pearson. The judges saw it for Sanchez, who derails Pearson’s forward progress at a time where the UFC could use some rising British talent. Sanchez will likely soldier on, getting more fights with the UFC based on this win, and Pearson is in the same boat as he was before the fight, and that is that he needs a marquee win.
The main event of the night saw Benson Henderson drop the first round to the aggressive Rustam Khabilov. He wore the Russian out over the next few rounds, ending it in the fourth with a rear naked choke that was set up by punches that took all the steam out of Khabilov. For Henderson, who has a Lightweight title reign with several title defenses on his UFC resume, this is the first fight he has won that has not gone the distance under the UFC banner.
Henderson is well spoken, but he has a Gene Tunney (look it up boxing fans) type of personality, and he doesn’t get enough credit for being an elite fighter. There was even talk of him potentially being cut by the company with a loss in this fight, so unmarketable is he considered by the UFC brass. With this win however, he remains firmly in the division’s top 3 and the road to the title matches still goes through him.
