Ben Henderson, the former WEC lightweight champion, improved to 2-0 in the UFC by crushing #1 contender Jim Miller in a three round unanimous decision. Henderson sent a message by not just beating, but utterly dominating Miller. He belongs near the very top of the UFC's lightweight division.
Miller came out early hunting for the quick submission that would send Henderson back to the drawing board. Unfortunately for him, he tired himself out quickly going for the kill and left himself exposed to hard strikes from the physical Henderson.
Miller tried it all, a standing arm triangle, kimuras, a knee bar, a heel hook, but all he managed to do was get himself cut up and hurt badly. Henderson went for the kill in the third round, battering Miller and working for a rear naked choke.
Miller briefly appeared to have Henderson hurt in the third, dropping him with a right. But when Miller dove to the ground to follow up, Henderson quickly took him down and renewed the beating.
Miller came into the fight as probably the #1 contender for the winner of Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard's title shot rematch. He had a 9-1 UFC record with his sole promotional loss coming to Gray Maynard. Miller's only other career loss was to current champion Frankie Edgar.
Henderson was ranked #14 in the world in the USA TODAY/MMA Nation Consensus Rankings against Miller's #6. Most fans regarded Henderson as a big fish in a small pond who would likely struggle in the UFC's killer 155lb division.
After demolishing Mark Bocek at UFC 129, Henderson had established himself in the UFC, now he's proven he belongs in the title picture. Along with fellow WEC veteran Donald Cerrone's TKO win over highly touted UFC contender Charles Oliveira, the WEC lightweights are looking very respectable.
Loading comments...