After spending years as an elite lightweight -- and champion -- in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Benson Henderson finally made the move up a weight division to welterweight for a short-notice headliner opposite fellow Coloradoan Brandon Thatch in Feb. 2015.
Henderson, who faces Jorge Masvidal in a welterweight main event at UFC Fight Night 79 this Saturday (Nov. 28, 2015) in Seoul, South Korea, previously dropped two straight to current title challenger Donald Cerrone and 155-pound titleholder Rafael dos Anjos.
"Rukus," meanwhile, had won two in-a-row in UFC, both being finishes.
It was a grueling four-round battle, but Henderson found his opening to strike and eventually finish the fight.
Henderson started off slow and spent most of the early portions of the tilt retreating, but it gave him time to open up and counter with leg kicks and body shots. Movement was going to be important because the MMA Lab representative could ill-afford to be backed into a corner.
He would continue to slip-and-move as Thatch continuously walked him down, eating numerous body kicks in the process. The Elevation Fight Team member would uncork a good straight right-left hook combination and land a takedown towards the end of round two to likely go up two rounds to nada, but the first was close.
However, Henderson would storm back in rounds three and four, scoring takedowns, while attaining back control rather easily. A majority of round three was spent on the ground, with Henderson trying to get both hooks in.
Then, in round four, Henderson scored his second takedown of the fight and passed the guard of Thatch easily, eventually finding his back and choking him unconscious.
For more on the UFC Fight Night 79: "Henderson vs. Masvidal" card, click here.
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