Sherdog’s Top 10: WEC Fights

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1. Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone
WEC 43 | Oct. 10, 2009

Henderson and Cerrone have now fought three times, their first match ranks as one of the very best fights of all-time. They were never scheduled to meet in the first place; instead, Cerrone was to rematch Jamie Varner for the WEC lightweight title. Varner was forced to pull out with an injury, however, and luckily for the fans, Henderson stepped in to fill the gap.

Knowing how both fighters would develop their skills over the years, it is somewhat shocking today to see them so raw, aggressive and reliant on their physical gifts. The basic battle in the fight was between Henderson’s Gumby-like submission defense and Cerrone’s pathologically aggressive guard. The Colorado native put together constant chains of triangles, armbars and even came close to finishing an omoplata in the fifth round, while Henderson bombed away with strikes from top position.

The decision was as close and controversial as any in MMA history. FightMetric scored it a 48-48 draw, while the media scores had it 3-2 in favor of Cerrone. Fans got a rematch six months later, and it was something of a disappointment when Henderson dropped a guillotine on Cerrone in the opening stanza. It would be almost five years before Cerrone would emerge victorious over his nemesis, and even that decision was marred with controversy in its own right. It may take a fourth fight to bring something resembling closure to the long and fruitful series between the two elite lightweights.

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