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4. Michael Chandler vs. Benson Henderson
Bellator 165
Nov. 19, 2016 | San Jose, California
Chandler took the cold-dead-hands approach to defending his lightweight championship.

The High Ridge, Missouri, native was the busier fighter and connected with the more meaningful strikes, as he turned away Henderson, retained his title and eked out a split decision across five hard-fought rounds in the Bellator 165 main event before 13,156 fans as the SAP Center. Scores were 48-46 and 48-47 for Chandler, 48-46 for Henderson.

Chandler wowed the sold-out crowd with an eye-popping suplex in the first round, only to see Henderson scramble out from underneath him and battle back to a more advantageous position. A fast-pace chess match ensued between two of Bellator’s best at 155 pounds. Henderson had his moments, but Chandler stayed a step ahead of the former World Xtreme Cagefighting and Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder.

Henderson hit the accelerator in Round 5, but the champion withstood his onslaught. The recipient of a split verdict, Chandler exited the cage with the lightweight throne still under his control.

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