In the final undercard event before Cain Velasquez vs. Junior dos Santos on UFC on Fox 1 kicked off, Ben Henderson (15-2; 3-0 UFC) faced Clay Guida (29-12; 9-6 UFC) in a highly anticipated Lightweight fight. Both fighters weighed in at 156 lbs and both were sporting their traditional wild hair styles which typify their high-energy fighting styles. The fight didn't disappoint and Henderson was able to win in a clear decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27).
Henderson dominated the early minutes of the fight with a flurry of punches that stunned Guida. The two grappled along the cage for the middle part of the round with Benson in a controlling position. Late in the round, however, it was Guida who connected with a punch but he wasn't able to press the advantage. We scored the round for Henderson.
The second round also went to Henderson but has hotly contested. The two spent a bit more time on the ground but Henderson time after time was able to end up with the dominant position. Both fighters had a chance for a choke but neither could get it set.
In the third round both fighters displayed fantastic skills both on the ground and on their feet. Guida was able to slip out of a few submission attempts and late in the round took control of Henderson's head but Ben was able to defend and slip out and in the final second landed some shots. We call this round a draw.
Henderson is a local product out of Glendale, AZ and has won three fights now in the last years since we last saw him in town at WEC 53. You might recall Henderson losing that fight to Anthony Pettis off one of the most spectacular moves ever seen in the MMA. (You can see it here, and you should go watch it again.)
With the win, Henderson gets a shot at the UFC Lightweight Championship with a fight against Frankie Edgar slated for February in Japan.