Adding more insult to the bad decision-making by the UFC, Ben Henderson and Clay Guida battled each other in a wild affair that should be the front runner for Fight of the Night. Despite the craziness in the Octagon, the judges didn’t see the bout as very close, awarding a decision to Henderson by the scores of 29-28, 30-27, and 30-27.
The opening frame was a wild back-and-forth affair that saw both Henderson and Guida land damaging shots. Most notably, Henderson dropped Guida early in the round with a left hook to the jaw, stunning Guida. Henderson couldn’t take advantage, however, allowing Guida to recover and land his own shots later in the round.
The second round was no different than the first as both fighters struggle to get the upper hand. Guida was able to secure a takedown midway through the round, but Henderson escaped to his feet instantly, turning to the fence and going on the offensive. Guida attempted to sink in a guillotine choke at that moment, pulling guard, but missing the attempt. The mistake allowed Henderson to gain top control and eventually transition to the back where he threatened with a choke in the final seconds.
A stalemate early in the third ended at the two-minute mark when Henderson countered a Guida head kick with a takedown. Henderson eventually transitioned to side control, then to Guida’s back where he threatened with a choke. Guida escaped, but Henderson followed him to the ground. Guida evaded the shots, and in a crazy shift — found a way to a guillotine choke in the scramble. Henderson snuck out the back, only to threaten Guida once again all the way to the final bell.
Henderson absolutely destroyed surging lightweight Jim Miller at UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle in August. The win not only derailed Miller’s progression to the top, but it swapped him out for Henderson in the title contention picture. Henderson holds previous wins over Mark Bocek, Donald Cerrone, Jamie Varner, Shane Roller, and Anthony Njokunai.
Guida also held his own surprise party, beating WEC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis at The Ultimate Fighter 13 Finale in June. He had previously won three straight prior to the tonight’s contest, submitting Takanori Gomi and Shannon Gugerty while making Rafael dos Anjos quit due to injury.
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