UFC 139 Results & Recap – Henderson wins instant classic

UFC 139 didn’t have a title fight as the main event, but the battle between Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua couldn’t have been any better.

The two competed in the first five-round non-title fight since the UFC added the new five-round rule to any main event, and in the end, Henderson managed to narrowly out-point Rua for a unanimous decision.

It appeared that Henderson would end the fight early as he landed some big right hands on Rua, but the former UFC champion survived and pushed the fight into the later rounds where Henderson became exhausted. The final seven minutes were all Rua, but it was too little, too late, as Henderson had done enough to win 48-47 on all three judges’ scorecards.

The win pushes Henderson into the top 5 of the UFC light heavyweight division, but an immediate rematch with Rua may be in order due to the reaction from the fans and UFC brass on the fight itself.

In the co-main event, Wanderlei Silva proved he is still dangerous as he beat Cung Le by TKO in the second round in a middleweight contest.

Early in the fight it looked as if Silva may not get out of the first round, as he took a number of big kicks and punches from Le, but he survived and then came out aggressive in the second round. Silva caught Le with a big right hand and then followed up with some devastating knees in the clinch that led to the stoppage.

While Silva still has a long way to go to be near the title picture, he still remains a relevant fighter in the UFC.

In bantamweight action, Urijah Faber defeated Brian Bowles by guillotine choke in the second round to earn another title shot at Dominick Cruz. Faber controlled the fight from the start, as his hand speed and diverse striking were too much for Bowles to deal with.

For complete UFC 139 results (courtesy of MMAMania.com), check out the jump.

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Strikeforce Predictions: Fedor vs. Werdum

Strikeforce holds its next big card tonight featuring Fedor Emelianenko taking on Fabricio Werdum. The card features four fights and here are my thoughts on what will happen tonight.

Heavyweight Bout – Fedor Emelianenko (31-1) vs. Fabricio Werdum (13-4-1) – This is the next big bout for Fedor, who is one of the greatest mixed-martial artists of all-time, let alone in the heavyweight division. Werdum is a solid grappler, but he doesn’t have the style to defeat Fedor, as he has not standup and he is slow on his feet. Emelianenko should have no problem winning this fight by TKO in round one or two.

Women’s Featherweight Championship – Cris Santos (9-1) vs. Jan Finney (8-7) – Finney is a game fighter, but she is running into a buzzsaw in Santos, who may eventually become as dominant as any champion in a weight class, men or women. Santos will overwhelm Finney with her strength and her striking. Look for a first round TKO win for “Cyborg” as she retains her title.

Middleweight Bout – Scott Smith (17-6) vs. Cung Le (6-1) – Smith handed Le his first pro loss last December on a miracle KO punch in the third round. Le was dominating the fight up until that point, which is why the rematch is taking place. Le has a better skill set and more tools than Smith, who simply will be relying on one punch to win. Look for Le to fight a smart fight and finish Smith in the third round.

Lightweight Bout – Josh Thomson (16-3) vs. Pat Healy (23-15) – Thomson clearly has the edge in this fight. Healy is an experienced fighter, but that experience hasn’t resulted in a great record. Look for Thomson to control the fight on the ground to earn a decision win in his quest to get back into the Lightweight title picture.

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