UFC 139 Results: 3 Reasons There Shouldn't Be a Dan Henderson vs. Shogun Rematch

Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua gave us one of the greatest fights in MMA history at UFC 139.

There was much back and forth action throughout the fight, but Henderson nearly won the fight in each of the first three rounds.

Rua proved to have the better conditioning in the later rounds but was not able to put Henderson out.

Despite it being an absolute war and a joy to watch, there should not be a rematch.

Continue reading to find out why.

Some Rematches Don't Live Up to the Hype of the First One

Henderson vs. Rua was one of those rare fights that perhaps surpassed the hype.

It was one of those classic stand-up wars that featured two of the greatest fighters in MMA history.

It’s a fight that everyone wanted to see and everyone would love to see again.

The only problem is it may not get the same reaction a second time around.

Whether the fight ends quickly or just is not exciting, many rematches just don’t live up to the first one, especially when it was a classic. 

Dan Henderson Would Have Dominated the Fight Even More Had He Not Gassed out

Although Rua showed some signs of life in the first three rounds, it was mostly all Henderson.

Henderson had Rua hurt badly and nearly put him out multiple times.

The problem for Henderson is he was gassing out more and more as the fight went on.

Had Henderson had more in the tank, he could have easily won the fight by knockout. 

There Was a Clear Winner

Sometimes because of the way a fight is won, there has to be a rematch.

Whether it’s bad judging, a draw or a controversial stoppage, there are some fights that have to be done again.

Fights like Lyoto Machida vs. Rua I, Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard II and BJ Penn vs. Frankie Edgar I deserved rematches because of the way they turned out. 

This fight, on the other hand, did not have any controversy.

Henderson took more rounds from Rua, and unless someone saw one of the later rounds a 10-8 for Rua, Henderson did enough to take the fight. 

Although many would love to see Rua and Henderson go at it again, unless both men are fighting for a title, it should simply be left the way it is. 

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.