4. Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez
UFC on Fox 7
April 20, 2013 | San Jose, California
Henderson survived the sternest of tests by the narrowest of margins. Low kicks, standing elbows and the ability to hold his own in wild standup exchanges carried “Smooth” to a split decision over Melendez, as he retained his Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight crown in a thrilling battle at the HP Pavilion. All three cageside judges scored it 48-47: Derek Cleary and Michael Bell for Henderson, Wade Vierra for Melendez. According to FightMetric figures, Henderson out-landed the challenger in terms of significant strikes in all five rounds and held the edge in total strikes in every round but the second. The MMA Lab representative did the majority of his damage with step-in standing elbows and kicks to the upper and lower sections of Melendez’s legs. Beaten for just the third time as a professional, Melendez appeared to make his most significant inroads in the first and fifth rounds, where he pressured the champion with thudding right hands and the occasional knee to the body. The loss halted the Santa Ana, California, native’s seven-fight winning streak.
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