In another double fight card weekend for the UFC, this Saturday was highlighted by a shocking main event that saw Rafael Dos Anjos upset Benson Henderson. In convincing fashion a lethal assault of knees and punches made Henderson go down in the first round. This was set up to be a classic display of technical striking and we were not disappointed. Deep into the 1st round round, neither fighter showed a clear advantage until a flying knee stunned Henderson and allowed Rafael to connect with a left hook that dropped the former lightweight champ. While he and many argued that it was too early, it was plain to see that Henderson was out and Dos Anjos has just revitalized the 155 pound division.
In a night that saw seven finishes with five of them coming in the main card, it was an early evening for the folks of Tulsa, Oklahoma. With a victory over Henderson and other contenders like "Cowboy” Cerrone, this win sets Dos Anjos up for a shot at the winner of Pettis and Melendez. That also allows the fan not to be disappointed in seeing Henderson - Pettis for the third time, or even the Melendez rematch. This sparks new life and conversation in the the lightweight division as we have a legitimate contender in Dos Anjos. With Eddie Alvarez now in the mix as well, this makes for one of the most exciting times in the land of the 155ers.
If there were any doubts about where Jordan Mein fits in the welterweight division those may have been answered Saturday night. Mike Pyle may be the class of the division but he was out-manned by the faster Mein in Tulsa. The round started off with both fighters getting a feel for range and position. Good striking from both set up the final combination for Mein which put down Pyle. Similar to the Francis Carmont - Thales Leites match it was an unexpected KO during an exchange of combinations which could have went anyones way.
Max Holloway looked very impressive again with his third round finish on Clay Collard which could have been fight of the night. Seems as if he is hell bent on a rematch with Dennis Bermudez in the also now stacked 145ers division. We can’t wait for Aldo Mendes to finally see which one of these beasts in the division is ready to be next in line. The UFC Fight Night Tulsa card was an entertaining ending to great weekend of fights. Benson Henderson will rebound from this fight and should not be upset at the stoppage. A finish is a finish but the last thing we as fans want to see is the fighters career in jeopardy. With announcements like last Friday’s by Ken Dietech in regards to his retirement, fighters must start paying closer attention to their window in the sport. We know some die hards want to see the fight go until one of the competitors is unconscious, but if Dana White and the UFC can stop before that notion, they are better for it.
Next up for the UFC is rematch of Renan Barao and TJ Dillashaw for UFC 177. Be on the look out for a recap here on Vavel and as always enjoy the fights fans!