Henderson outlasts Rua in UFC 139
Saturday, November 19, 2011
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Dan Henderson celebrated his return to the UFC with a unanimous decision over Mauricio Rua on Saturday night in a light heavyweight fight.
The 41-year-old Henderson (29-8) controlled the first three rounds of the slugfest, then held on over the final 10 minutes when Rua (20-6) made a furious comeback.
Both fighters' eyes were severely swollen afterward, while Rua's white-and-green shorts were nearly entirely covered in crimson from the blood that flowed from each man.
All three judges had Henderson winning 48-47 in the main event of UFC 139. That puts him in line for a possible title shot against champion Jon Jones.
Also, Wanderlei Silva got off the mat in the first round to knock out former Strikeforce middleweight champion Cung Le at 4:49 of the second.
