UFC
UFC 150: Ben Henderson expects "different dance steps", but same outcome against Frankie Edgar
Aug 8, 2012 - 4:45:41 PM UFC 150: Ben Henderson expects "different dance steps", but same outcome against Frankie Edgar

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

When Ben Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar at UFC 144 in February, there was almost unanimous call to see Frankie Edgar drop to the featherweight division. It's a move that had been discussed many times before, and indeed a fight against Jose Aldo is one that many have called for over the last couple of years.

However, the idea that Edgar was perhaps "too small" for the division is one Henderson disagrees with, and he commented on Tuesday about how that line of thinking popped up once Edgar was finally defeated.

"Frankie was being called one of the pound-for-pound best guys in the Octagon when he was winning and as the champion," Henderson said on Tuesday's "UFC Tonight" program on Fuel TV. "Nobody was saying how small he was then. I think it's kind of humorous that it changes when he loses. But I try to use whatever advantage I can in the Octagon."

Edgar has indeed been considered a smaller fighter for the division in the past, but his successes in the cage kept a lot of that talk at bay for awhile. Finally losing did bring it back to the surface, and Henderson doesn't like how that perceived slight against Edgar reflects on what he accomplished in February.

Still, regardless of anything that happened in the first fight, Henderson knows he needs to be the best come August 11, and he expects to have his hand raised again.

"I think we're going to have some different dance steps this time. But it's all about who got better at what they do. I hope the fight and flow will go the same way as last time and it'll end up with my hand raised again."

Penick's Analysis: People have been calling Edgar undersized for some time, making his performances inside the Octagon stand out that much more. But that's not a slight against Henderson and his win over Edgar in February. After all, only Gray Maynard had ever defeated Edgar prior to February (officially), so even if the size issue was cause for concern, it doesn't diminish anything Henderson has done. And if he can beat him not only once, but twice in a row? That's the mark of an incredible fighter who has continued to make improvements over the last several years. This is a huge fight for him to begin establishing his own legacy at 155 lbs. Getting Edgar behind him is the first step, and his chance to do just that will come on Saturday night.

[Ben Henderson art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]