UFC 150: Benson Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar Was No Robbery

It would be wonderful if a lightweight title bout ended decisively with some degree of frequency, but there was no such luck at UFC 150 in Denver, Colo. Benson “Smooth” Henderson and Frankie “The Answer” Edgar once again conspired to produce a bout laced with controversy.

As the decision to award the bout to Henderson was read aloud, boos descended upon the Octagon. My initial reaction to the crowd’s protests was bemusement.

If these fans thought that decision was a robbery, they clearly hadn’t tuned into Olympic boxing throughout the week. That should be the target of one’s derision, not a closely contested fight like tonight’s main event.

Let’s be clear, this was no mugging. One can make a case for either fighter, but to suggest that Frankie Edgar was on the wrong side of the worst screwjob since Montreal 1997 is to betray one’s own bias.

The stats bear out what appeared, to this writer, to be a contest that was as tight as it was compelling.

Edgar actually outlanded Henderson, as it turns out, scoring more frequently in Rounds 2, 3 and 5. Meanwhile, Benson got the better of Rounds 1 and 4, at least on paper. Therefore, it would have been understandable had Frankie been given the nod.

With that said, even the stats indicate that the fight was close. Edgar landed four more significant strikes and five more total strikes. That is not a huge advantage, and it would be harsh to criticise the judges for not keeping track of the numbers in their head.

It is also worth pointing out that, despite landing a few more strikes, Edgar did not win the race to accumulate damage. Indeed, a much bigger disparity in the numbers would have been required for Frankie to make up for the difference between the impact of his strikes vs. the impact of Henderson’s strikes.

The champ’s kicks, in particular, would visibly move his smaller foe. In contrast, Henderson seemed utterly indifferent to the vast majority of Edgar’s shots, with a few notable exceptions.

In addition, Edgar marks up much more easily and this may have factored into the judges’ decision. One look at their respective faces would suggest that Benson was the more productive fighter, even if FightMetric proves otherwise.

The point to all of this, you ask? Let’s not manufacture controversy. Everything indicates that this was a very close contest, yet one could be mistaken for thinking that Edgar battered Henderson from pillar to post, based on the post-fight reaction on Twitter.

There is no doubt that the first fight was much more decisive, so this may serve as a lesson for Dana White and Joe Silva.

They will hopefully be reticent to setup rematches so easily in future, which will only benefit the UFC’s most stacked division in the long run.