Brilliant, mesmerizing, unbelievable. As much as I adore adjectives, they cannot describe the flurry of activity that swept through the octagon in the AT&T Center in San Antonio tonight.
The WEC 43 championship fight between Donald Cerrone and Ben Henderson much resembled a Texas tornado. When the dust had finally settled the fight ended with a 48-47 decision, proclaiming Ben Henderson the winner.
It was 25 minutes full of action with the usual one minute respites between each of the five rounds lasting five minutes each. With all the submission attempts, take downs, reversals, and knee, heel, and fist strikes that flashed continuously giving the spectators a once in a life time panorama of Mixed Martial Arts in a dizzying array, how could the judges possibly keep track of who did what to whom?
Vertigo initiated by complete disbelief that joints could be bent into such contorted positions without breaking, mixed with breathlessness while watching a variety of chokes applied from impossible positions leaving me weak as I watched in fascination, as neither amazing fighter was able to overcome the other's power.
So close was the decision that it took seconds to realize the name that was announced was indeed Ben "Smooth" Henderson. Donald Cerrone reached out and embraced Ben with a look of complete envy and admiration. Less than a hair's breadth separated winner from loser. How close! How very, very close!
If the judges were as overwhelmed by the contest as I was as I watched, how could they have arrived at that close of a decision? The astounding nature of the whole event, a virtual kaleidoscope of physicality that sped by almost too fast for the brain to register it, yet all three judges had the same result. I am astounded that it was actually possible.
A crowd of appreciative fans who hailed both combatants as heroes, were not as kind to Jamie Varner as he came into the cage to confront his opponent for the final championship title. He first lauded Donald Cerrone as being tougher than he ever realized which is curious in light of their meeting necessitating this interim championship bout.
Jamie made much of his injuries which were said to be potentially career-ending for him. At the time I felt Donald Cerrone had been robbed. Varner won that time, although I don't know how.
Thus it was determined that Varner will be meeting Henderson in Arizona early next year to determine the final, uncontested title holder.
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