UFC 144 Results: Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson Fight Card

From the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, UFC 144 is now underway. Bleacher Report will provide live results of all the night's fights below and fight recaps on the following pages of this slideshow. 

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Henderson defeats Edgar by decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46). 

Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader

Bader defeated Jackson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo

Hunt defeated Kongo by technical knockout (punches) at of the first round.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields

Shields defeated Akiyama by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch

Boetsch defeated Okami by knockout (punches) at of the third round.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski

Hioki defeated Palaszewski by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon

Pettis defeated Lauzon by knockout (head kick) at 1:21 of the first round.

Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

Gomi defeated Mitsuoka by technical knockout (punches) at of the second round.

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee

Lee defeated Yamamoto by submission (armbar) at 4:29 of the first round.

Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell

Fukuda defeated Cantwell by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso

Cariaso defeated Mizugaki by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei Tamura

Tamura defeats Zhang by knockout (punch) at 0:32 of the second round.

Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Benson Henderson defeats Frankie Edgar by decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46). 

The UFC's return to Japan included yet another epic Edgar fight. Whether fans are going to give him his due attention or not, Edgar has been one of the most entertaining fighters in the sport over the last few years.

Unfortunately for Edgar, being entertaining wasn't enough for him to remain champion at UFC 144, as he was defeated in an extremely close fight.

Throughout the bout, Edgar did a nice job catching Henderson's kicks ad returning fire.

In the second round, though, Henderson swayed the momentum by hurting Edgar with an upkick and may have stolen the round with some big elbows as the frame came to a close.

The remained of the fight was very closely contested with back-and-forth, technical action between two of the most well-rounded athletes in the sport.

Without exaggeration, every single round of this fight could have been argued in favor of either fight, so there is a very good chance that we will see yet another rematch for the lightweight title. 

Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader

Ryan Bader defeated Quinton Jackson by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Aside from a Pride-esque slam in the second round, Jackson's problematic weight cut appeared to take its toll on Jackson in his return to Japan.

Jackson looked slow in the first round, which allowed Bader to out-strike the former UFC champion. After being dropped on his head, Bader continued his strong performance in the second round with a big takedown to regain the momentum.

Coming back from back-to-back losses, Bader has now won two straight fights and returned to the mix for a light heavyweight title shot. 

With two straight losses of his own and an unsuccessful return to his old stomping grounds of Japan, let the speculation begin about Jackson's motivation and retirement.

Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo

Mark Hunt defeated Cheick Kongo by technical knockout (punches) at of the first round.

One year removed from a six-fight losing streak, the 37-year-old Hunt has stringed together three straight wins and is making a serious run at becoming a heavyweight contender.

Hunt's ground game will always be his weak point, but the former K-1 World Grand Prix champ is capable of knocking out anyone willing to stand with him, 

Kongo became one of the ill-advised opponents to try to strike with Hunt at UFC 144. The French fighter paid for his decision by suffering a knockout loss that started with a counter left hook. 

At this point in his career, Hunt probably isn't going to challenge for a title, but he is certainly capable of putting on exciting fights against fellow strikers.

Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields

Jake Shields defeated Yoshihiro Akiyama by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

In an amazing showing of determination, Shields relentlessly worked to take Akiyama to the ground and sealed victory with a late takedown that he secured despite his opponent hanging onto the fence.

Akiyama looked solid in his debut at welterweight, stuffing several takedowns, but he failed to mount enough offense of his own to score points on the judges' scorecards.

"I would love to continue fighting at welterweight," Akiyama told UFC commentator Joe Rogan after the fight, "but let me think for awhile."

The 36-year-old Japanese fighter did use his judo background to throw Shields to the ground twice, but he was unable to maintain the top position for any period of time.

With the win, Shields snapped a two-fight losing streak, while Akiyama saw his drought of victories extend to fought consecutive appearances.

Yushin Okami vs. Tim Boetsch

Tim Boetsch defeated Yushin Okami by knockout (punches) at of the third round.

After being thoroughly dominated for two full rounds, Boetsch mounted one of the most incredible comebacks in UFC history by knocking out one of the best middleweights in the world in Okami.

In the opening round, Okami opened up a cut on Boetsch's face with crisp jabs. Then, in the second frame, Okami took Boetsch down from the clinch and ended the round by raining down blows from full mount.

"I knew nothing less than a knockout or finish would win that fight for me," Boetsch said of his mindset heading into the third round.

Boetsch came out in the final round throwing everything he had at Okami, rocking the Japanese fighter with a right hand and putting him away with a brutal series of uppercuts that left the crowd silent.

It sounds crazy after watching the first two rounds of his fight at UFC 144, but, by beating a fighter who was one fight removed from a middleweight title shot, Boetsch now has to be considered a serious contender at 185 pounds.

Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski

Hatsu Hioki defeated Bart Palaszewski by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28).

After a lackluster showing in his UFC debut against George Roop, Hioki showed why he is considered one of the top featherweights in the world with a strong performance against Palaszewski at UFC 144.

In the opening moments of the fight, Hioki dropped Palaszewski with a jab. Hioki then secured a takedown and quickly passed to side control. The Japanese fighter threatened with submissions before landing some damaging ground-and-pound as the opening round came to an end.

Palaszewski came back stronger in the second round, but Hioki was able to finish the round strong by securing a brief takedown and taking his opponent's back. 

The final frame saw Hioki secure a takedown much earlier in the round, which allowed the former Shooto and Sengoku champion to control Palaszewski for the majority of the round and threaten with a rear-naked choke from the back.

Hioki's decision victory in his home country could set him up for a shot at featherweight champion Jose Aldo, as no other 145-pound contenders have separated themselves from the pack as much as Hioki did with this victory.

Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon

Anthony Pettis defeated Joe Lauzon by knockout (head kick) at 1:21 of the first round.

On the eve of a lightweight title fight that will include a fighter he only recently beat, Benson Henderson, Pettis made a big statement that he is ready for a UFC title shot.

With an early kick to the head of Lauzon, Pettis walked away with his second straight win in spectacular fashion. 

"Hopefully, whoever comes out on top tonight, I get the winner," Pettis said in a post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

The last WEC lightweight champion, Pettis is one of the most skilled and entertaining young fighters in the sport. Even if he doesn't get the title shot he is looking for in his next appearance, Pettis will almost certainly compete in a championship fight at some point in the future.

After submitting Melvin Guillard in his most recent fight, the 27-year-old Lauzon was unable to mount back-to-back upsets, so it's back to the drawing board for the former TUF contestant.

Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka

Takanori Gomi defeated Eiji Mitsuoka by technical knockout (punches) at of the second round.

It took an incredible comeback against a fellow Pride veteran, but Gomi avoided a third straight loss by pressing forward for a knockout in the second ronud of his fight against Mitsuoka at UFC 144.

In the opening round, Mitsuoka rocked Gomi with a right hook and nearly finished the fight with a mounted triangle. 

Despite the scare, the former Pride champion stormed back and overwhelmed his tired opponent in the second round. Unable to weather the storm, Mitsuoka was saved by the referee after a number of unanswered punches on the ground.

Gomi's time as a true title contender may be over at this point in his career, but "The Fireball Kid" is ensuring that he isn't forgotten as Pride's history is seemingly being erased by the UFC's success.

Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee

Vaughan Lee defeated Norifumi Yamamoto by submission (armbar) at 4:29 of the first round.

In a huge upset in Yamamoto's home country of Japan, Lee overcame early adversity to lock up an armbar and became the first fighter to ever submit the 34-year-old Japanese fighter.

Loading up for a big right hand, Yamamoto hurt Lee with a hook. However, the British fighter covered up and returned a knee that rocked Yamamoto.

After Lee further hurt his opponent with a combination, Yamamoto took the fight to the ground in desperation. However, Lee quickly attacked with a triangle choke attempt, which he transitioned to an armbar and forced Yamamoto to tap. 

Having lost five of his past six fights, Yamamoto was understandably disappointed with his performance, which could go down as his last under the UFC banner.

"All i can say is I'm disappointed at the moment," Yamamoto said in his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan. "I really wanted to win in Japan."

A loser in his UFC debut against Chris Cariaso, Lee couldn't have picked up his first UFC win in more impressive fashion.

Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell

Riki Fukuda defeated Steve Cantwell by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27).

A former WEC champion, Cantwell will likely compete outside of the Octagon in his next fight, as he dropped a fifth consecutive fight against Fukuda at UFC 144.

A slow head kick by Cantwell allowed Fukuda to take the fight to the ground early. Cantwell escaped and came back strong with kicks to the legs and body of Fukuda, but the 25-year-old faded as the fight progessed.

In the second round, Fukuda caused some problems for Cantwell by pressing forward and landing shots in the clinch. Cantwell was unable to answer when the Japanese fighter turned up the pressure, which he continued to do in the final frame.

With a win in his home country, Fukuda picked up the first victory of his UFC career, though many believed he was robbed of a win over Nick Ring in his UFC debut.

Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso

Chris Cariaso defeated Takeya Mizugaki by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28).

Though he was able to come away with a controversial decision against a skilled bantamweight, Cariaso may have fought his final fight as a 135-pound fighter at UFC 144.

The smallish bantamweight has said in the past he would be interested in dropping to flyweight, a division which the UFC will be introducing next week.

Cariaso had success landing counter right hooks early, but Mizugaki was able to drag Cariaso to the ground and use his size advantage to keep the fight there for the remained of the opening round.

Again, after landing some knees from the clinch, Cariaso was muscled to the ground by his larger opponent midway through the second frame. The 30-year-old Californian was able to use a sweep to escape to his feet, which may have salvaged the close round for him on the scorecards.

Not having much success on his feet, Mizugaki continued his pattern of alternating wins and losses that has now lasted for more than three years. 

Cariaso, on the other hand, picked up back-to-back victories with the narrow decision, which could make his decision on whether or not remain at bantamweight a little tougher.

Tiequan Zhang vs. Issei Tamura

Issei Tamura defeated Tiequan Zhang by knockout (punch) at 0:32 of the second round.

Not wanting to disappoint Japanese fans in the UFC's first fight in Japan for more than a decade, Zhang and Tamura traded and rocked each other with right hooks in the first 30 seconds of the fight. 

Getting in the last punch, Tamura ended up on top of Zhang and landed some solid ground-and-pound before a referee stand-up. Shortly after being stood up, the Norifumi Yamamoto training partner took the fight to the ground again and fought off a guillotine choke.

Tamura opened the second round in the same way that he began the first, landing a brutal right hand that crumpled Zhang and put a stop to the fight.

Though some hoped he would help spark the growth of MMA in China, Zhang has now lost three of his past four fights and will need to get things turned around quickly. 

The 27-year-old Tamura, meanwhile, started his UFC career right by picking up a win in his home country with a highlight reel knockout.