UFC 139 Results: Dan Henderson Is One of the All-Time Greats

The fight between Dan Henderson and Shogun Rua was promoted as a fight between two former Pride superstars who were finally going to meet inside a UFC Octagon.

Looking back, they probably could have just promoted it as a meeting between two of the best fighters in MMA history.

Last night, Dan Henderson squeaked past Mauricio Rua in what was one of the most unbelievable fights in the history of the sport, featuring back-and-forth action for five full rounds and several near-finishes for both fighters.

The fight is already being held up with the Forrest Griffin vs. Stephan Bonnar and Wanderlei Silva vs. Chuck Liddell as one of the best in UFC history, and the win solidifies Henderson’s spot at the top of the 205 lb. division.

After one of the most incredible performances, MMA fans have seen in a long time, the fight itself and the immediate fallout from a war such as this one have been the topic everyone has been talking about.

But perhaps the most significant thing to happen last night could end up being the effect the fight has on the legacy of Henderson.

Already considered one of the best fighters to never win a UFC belt, Henderson has had a remarkable career, winning multiple titles in Pride and holding the light heavyweight title in Strikeforce, all while defeating some of the best fighters in the world.

A look at Dan Henderson’s resume reveals wins over some of the best fighters the sport has had to offer, including Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Fedor Emelianenko and, of course, Shogun.

The win over Fedor, while not as impressive as it would have been if it had been done a few fights earlier, really started to open some eyes and started getting Henderson’s name thrown into consideration as one of the best fighters in the history of MMA, and this five-round war with Shogun has possibly done even more for Henderson’s legacy.

Shogun has long been considered one of the most talented fighters in the history of the sport, and Henderson’s ability to grind out a victory over an opponent of that caliber at 41 years old is something even Randy Couture has never done.

Henderson can only be called a legend of the sport, and if he is able to unseat either Anderson Silva or Jon Jones and win another title before he retires, he might go down as the greatest fighter of all-time.

Be sure to stay tuned to Bleacher Report for all things UFC 139. B/R is your home for complete coverage of the November 19 fight card, including results and post-fight analysis.