Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua put on an all-time great bout at UFC 139. Henderson controlled the first three rounds and after somehow surviving the violent barrage of “Hendo” it was “Shogun” who took over rounds four and five, almost getting the finish in the final round.
The final scoring was somewhat controversial as Dan Henderson won by unanimous decision, getting a 48-47 score from all three judges. 47-47 seemed to be the most common score though with Henderson getting the first three rounds 10-9 and Shogun winning round 4 10-9 and round 5 10-8.
The bout has been called by many the best in the history of MMA and while that may be a stance that is as much about a bias created by being so near to the actual fight, it’s hard to argue against it being on the shortlist.
What was the high spot of this fight?
What wasn’t the high spot of this fight?
This was an incredible bout between two legends of MMA. Back and forth action, near finishes, gutsy survivals of being in big danger and that special kind of violence that makes fight sports something unique and amazing. Personally, I know I’ll never forget this fight.
Where do these guys go from here?
Many people want to see an immediate rematch, but there is a part of me that wants to not see them put their bodies and brains through it again. But know that I’d watch the rematch in a heartbeat.
Dana White said that Henderson could challenge for the light heavyweight or middleweight title. At 41 years old, it’s hard to see Henderson drop back to 185. A shot against the Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida winner or maybe the winner of that fight against Rashad Evans would be a great fight.
Watch it now, later or never?
Watch it now, then again right away and then again later. This was a special fight.
More BE coverage of UFC 139 in the full entry.
UFC 139 Results: FightMetric Scores Shogun vs. Henderson a Draw – Tim Burke
UFC 139 Results: The Resurgence Of Stephan Bonnar – Josh Nason
UFC 139 Shogun vs Henderson Results: Winners, Losers, and Other Thoughts – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Video: Full Post-Fight Press Conference Video For Shogun vs Henderson – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Dan Henderson vs Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Fight Video Highlights – Leland Roling
UFC 139: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua Results and Post-Fight Analysis – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 139 Post-Fight Press Conference Coverage – Tim Burke
Bad Boy Presents Bloody Elbow Radio – Episode 102: UFC 139 Results Review – Matt Bishop
UFC 139 Results: Dan Henderson Wins Decisions Over Shogun Rua In An Absolute Classic – Matt Roth
UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson – Live Results and Play-By-Play for PPV Broadcast – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 139 Results: Wanderlei Silva Knocks Out Cung Le In The Second Round – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Urijah Faber Chokes Brian Bowles Out With A Guillotine – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Martin Kampmann Edges Rick Story with Split Decision Victory – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Stephan Bonnar Dominates Kyle Kingsbury To Unanimous Decision – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Ryan Bader Knocks Out Jason Brilz In The First – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Michael McDonald Knocks Alex Soto Out In The First Round – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Chris Weidman Sinks In D’arce Choke to Beat Tom Lawlor – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Gleison Tibau Wins Split Decision Over Rafael dos Anjos – Matt Roth
UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson – Live Results and Play-By-Play for Facebook Stream – Brent Brookhouse
UFC 139 Results: Miguel Torres Puts On A Clinic Against Nick Pace – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Seth Baczynski Finishes Matt Brown Early In The Second – Matt Roth
UFC 139 Results: Danny Castillo Finishes Shamar Bailey With Punches – Matt Roth