UFC 139: Shogun vs. Hendo – Preview, Guest Panel Picks & Event Coverage

UFC 139: Shogun vs. Hendo – Preview, Guest Panel Picks & Event Coverage

By Dave Carpinello

 

 

 

 

*Click here for UFC 139 Weigh-In Results & Video*

 

*Click here for UFC 139 Live Results & Event Coverage*

 

 

This weekend the UFC invades the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California for UFC 139: Shogun vs. Hendo. After a brief stay in Strikeforce, Dan Henderson returns to the Octagon to face fellow former PRIDE veteran Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a light heavyweight battle. The co-main event also features a former PRIDE superstar as Wanderlei Silva takes on San Jose favorite and San Shou master Cung Le who will be making his UFC debut.

 

“The California Kid” Urijah Faber makes his third Octagon appearance as he looks to rebound from a loss to Dominick Cruz as he faces Brian Bowles in a bantamweight title eliminator bout. Rounding out the main card on pay-per-view is a possible barn-burner between Rick Story and Martin Kampmann and Stephan Bonnar looks to keep on rolling against Kyle Kingsbury.

 

As with past UFC events, two fights will air live on Spike TV featuring Ryan Bader versus Jason Brilz and Michael McDonald facing Alex Soto. Also for you UFC Facebook fans, Dana White and company will be streaming five more preliminary fights free with Tom Lawlor, former WEC champion Miguel Torres, Gleison Tibau and Ultimate Fighter alum Matt Brown.

 

 

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (19-5) vs. Dan Henderson (28-8)

Main Event

 

Mauricio “Shogun” Rua rose to the top of the list at 205 pounds with his run in PRIDE, including winning the promotion’s 2005 tournament. Under the PRIDE banner “Shogun” secured wins over Alistair Overeem (twice), Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Ricardo Arona, and Kazuhiro Nakamura.

 

In his UFC debut Rua was upset by former UFC champion and TUF 1 winner Forrest Griffin by third round rear naked choke. Knee injuries sidelined the international superstar and caused a lackluster return in a rematch with Mark Coleman. After knocking out Coleman, “Shogun” returned to form with a knockout of former UFC champion Chuck Liddell.

 

Rua then challenged previously undefeated Lyoto Machida for the UFC’s light heavyweight championship, but lost a controversial decision. In an immediate rematch Rua knocked out Machida in the first round, but then lost his first title defense in a one-sided bout with Jon Jones at UFC 128 in March. Shogun returned at UFC Rio for a rematch with Forrest Griffin and won the fight with a TKO in the first round.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 4-3 (4 TKO)

Strengths: Aggressive, good striking, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt

Weaknesses: Wrestling

Key Wins: Lyoto Machida, Chuck Liddell, Alistair Overeem (2), Ricardo Arona, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Quinton Jackson, Cyrille Diabate, Kevin Randleman, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Akihiro Gono, Evangelista Santos, Mark Coleman, Forrest Griffin

Notable Losses: Jon Jones, Forrest Griffin, Mark Coleman, Lyoto Machida, Renato Sobral

 

 

Dan Henderson, like Rua, made a name for himself in the now-defunct PRIDE. With the promotion he earned the welterweight (183-pound) and middleweight (205-pound) titles simultaneously.

 

Exiting PRIDE with two titles, Henderson joined the UFC in an attempt to unify both titles. First he challenged Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, losing by decision before then losing by rear naked choke to Anderson Silva. Henderson then won a decision over highly-regarded Rousimar Palhares before edging out former UFC champion Rich Franklin. In his final bout with the promotion he stopped Michael Bisping with a highlight-reel knockout.

 

Following his departure from the UFC, Henderson joined Strikeforce. He faced Jake Shields in his promotional debut for the organization’s middleweight title. After nearly stopping Shields, Henderson was then controlled for the remainder of the fight to lose a one-sided decision. He then knocked out Renato “Babalu” Sobral to earn a shot at the Strikeforce light heavyweight title, which he won by stopping Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante by third round TKO. In his last Strikeforce fight before returning to the UFC, the former Olympian scored a TKO victory over the legendary Fedor Emelianenko.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 5-2 (1 KO)

Strengths: Heavy hands, two-time Olympic wrestler, durable

Weaknesses: Struggles off his back

Key Wins: Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, Wanderlei Silva, Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Kazuo Misaki, Rafael Cavalcante, Renato Sobral (2), Vitor Belfort, Rousimar Palhares, Akihiro Gono, Ryo Chonan, Murilo Rua, Murilo Bustamante, Yuki Kondo, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Gilbert Yvel, Carlos Newton, Allan Goes, Renzo Gracie

Notable Losses: Anderson Silva, Jake Shields, Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Kazuo Misaki, Ricardo Arona, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

 

 

PunchDrunkGamer’s UFC 139: Shogun vs. Hendo Main Event Guest Panel:

 

Ricky Lundell (Head Instructor University of Grappling in Utah) – “I have to go with the strong wrestler. I believe Dan Henderson will win this fight using his pressure and wrestling.”

 

Elvis Sinosic (The King of Rock & Rumble) – “This fight is all about Fireworks. Both guys like to bang. Hendo lately has been all about the H-Bomb – for those that don’t know the H-Bomb is Hendo’s right hand. When he lands this weapon it’s all over. He’s had a lot of success lately. He now uses his wrestling more to keep or get back to his feet rather than for takedowns to work his GnP. He definitely keeps fights exciting with this strategy. Shogun is all about finishing. He always works to end the match whether it is via KO or Submission. He has the ability to do it all. When Shogun is on, he has a great ability to mix up his striking, wrestling and grappling.

 

Hendo was the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion. Hendo was the UFC Middleweight Tournament champion, the Pride Welterweight & Middleweight (same as UFC LHW) Champion – titles which he held concurrently as well as the Pride Welterweight Tournament Champion. His record is 28-8. Shogun was the Pride Middleweight Tournament Champion and was also the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Shoguns record is 20-5.

 

Both fighters have an abundance of KO & TKO victories on their record so you know there will be fireworks standing. Though Shogun has some submission victories his strength is still his striking. Dan’s losses have been to either submissions or decisions, he hasn’t been TKO’ed yet. Shogun does have some TKO losses as well as decision and submission losses.

 

This is a very tough match to call. Dan has shown he has an iron chin. He has fought some of the biggest names in the sport, on his titles alone he should be the favourite. He has a great record only losing to some of the biggest names in the sport. Shogun has shown to be extremely tough as well. He’s had some serious titles as well. He has also faced some of the biggest names in the sport and his losses are also to some of the biggest names. Both guys are extremely dangerous and have some great skills.

 

I could very easily sit on the fence and point out that this fight could go either way and the reality is it could go either way. I could envision Dan landing the H-Bomb and going in for the kill and then being pulled off by the Ref. I could see Shogun doing the same thing or even dropping for a leg lock and catching Dan off guard. Both guys have the ability to win this fight. I’m not going to sit on the fence though. I’m going to pick Shogun for this match.

 

Shogun has a wider range of tools, punches, kicks, knees and submissions at his disposal. Dan has the H-Bomb, though extremely devastating if it lands, it is only one weapon to avoid. I think Shogun will avoid the H-Bomb and out strike Dan by mixing it up. I think with Dan’s iron chin this is going to be a decision victory.”

 

Frank Shamrock (King of Pancrase, Former UFC, WEC & Strikeforce Champion, 23-10-2) – “Hendo by H-Bomb!”

 

Nate Quarry (12-4, Zombie in Left 4 Dead 2) – “Hendo has a HUGE right hand and is an Olympic wrestler. Shogun is a Jiu Jitsu black belt and has great Muay Thai as well as great footwork. Both are former champions. Too close to call.”

 

Johny Hendricks (11-1, 4-time All-American at OSU) – “I can’t wait to see the main event because Dan hasn’t fought in the UFC in a while and I can’t wait to see him back in there and Henderson will win this fight by way of TKO in the second round. It could be a night of upsets because all the fighters on the card are closely matched.”

 

Jesse Finney (6-1 MMA Record, Owner of Finney’s H.I.T. Squad Gym) – “I think the fight has the making to be a great with 2 legends. I am going to have to go with Hendo on this one by GNP/TKO. I think Hendo will dirty box with lots of cage wrestling and where Shogun out. Then at that point TKO Dan.”

 

George Roop (12-8-1, Ultimate Fighter Alum) – “Dan Henderson will win this fight by decision.”

 

Paul Bradley (18-4, Strikeforce & UFC Vet) – “Henderson by 1st round KO, I think his right hand will be the deciding factor.”

 

Scott Casber (Takedown Wrestling Radio) – “Dan Henderson is one of the best trained fighters on the planet. Count him out all ya want, say he’s over the hill and he’ll kick your ass on principle. He’s showing no signs of age. He has the ability to pick his shot and make it count. Think you can wrestle with him? Good luck as he stuffs what few shots you’re able to take. Henderson is a well oiled machine who expects to win. It’s no wonder that his Clinch Gear clothing line is one of the biggest MMA brands around the world. He’ll figure you out. Henderson will beat Shogun like he did the foul mouthed disrespectful Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping. The count my ass, more like the count out!”

 

Dr. John Fitzgerald (The Blood Doc) – “Henderson will win and it may go all five rounds.”

 

Andy Main (5-1, Ultimate Fighter Alum) – “I think if Dan is in shape Shogun is going to have a lot on his hands. I have Hendo winning a unanimous decision.”

 

Troy Baron (President Performance MMA) – “It is great to see Hendo back in the UFC. Henderson will find a way to implement his wrestling and control where the fight takes place. For an athlete over the age of 40, it is amazing the conditioning that Henderson brings to the cage. He will grind Shogun, wear him down and find a way to knock him out with his powerful left AKA the H-Bomb. My prediction – Henderson by KO round 2.”

 

 

 

Wanderlei Silva (33-11-1-1) vs. Cung Le (7-1)

Co-Main Event

 

Wanderlei Silva has earned his spot as a legend of the sport.  Having ruled as PRIDE’s middleweight (205 lbs) champion with impressive wins over Ricardo Arona, Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba, Hidehiko Yoshida, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Dan Henderson – amongst many more, Silva has cemented his place as one of the world’s premiere fighters in history.

 

Since 2006, Silva has struggled however, winning just three times in eight bouts.  After stopping Kazuyuki Fujita with strikes in the quarter-finals of PRIDE’s 2006 Open-Weight Grand Prix, Silva was viciously knocked out by eventual tournament winner Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.  In his final PRIDE appearance Silva was then knocked out by Dan Henderson, losing his middleweight title.  From there Silva made his UFC debut against nemesis Chuck Liddell.  In an exciting fight of the year candidate Silva lost a unanimous decision.

 

Silva rebounded with a thirty-six second knockout win over Keith Jardine before facing “Rampage” for a third time (having already defeated him twice in PRIDE).  Jackson got revenge the third time around, knocking Silva out in the first round.  Silva then lost a decision against former UFC champion Rich Franklin, but he was able to rebound with a win by decision against The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Michael Bisping. Although, in last bout against Chris Leben at UFC 132 Silva was brutally knocked out and some feared that would be the end of the “Axe Murderer”.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 3-6 (2 TKO)

Strengths: Knockout power, aggressive, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt

Weaknesses: Failing chin

Key Wins: Quinton Jackson (2), Ricardo Arona, Dan Henderson, Guy Mezger, Kazushi Sakuraba (2), Yuki Kondo, Kazuhiro Nakamura, Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping, Hidehiko Yoshida (2), Ikuhisa Minowa, Kiyoshi Tamura

Notable Losses: Mirko Filipovic, Dan Henderson, Quinton Jackson, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin, Ricardo Arona, Mark Hunt, Chris Leben

 

 

Cung Le initially made his mark competing in San Shou and kickboxing, compiling a 17-0 record.  He only has one loss in mixed martial arts and has finished each of his seven opponents by TKO, with each bout taking place inside Strikeforce.  Saturday marks Le’s return to MMA and his UFC debut after nearly eighteen months off to pursue acting.

 

Despite having a notable name and a great San Shou background, Le took his time developing in MMA.  In his debut he faced Mike Altman, winning the bout by KO.  He then moved up to journeyman Brian Warren, securing a first round stoppage.  It wasn’t until his third bout that Le faced his first real competition, earning a doctor stoppage against UFC veteran Jason Von Flue.

 

In his next bout, against Tony Fryklund, Le went past the first round for the first time in his mixed martial arts career.  Le finished Fryklund twenty-five seconds into the third round however by knockout.  In his next appearance he finished Sam Morgan with a kick to the body in the third round.  Then he defeated UFC veteran and legend Frank Shamrock.  as Shamrock blocked several kicks with his arms and was unable to come out to the fourth round due to a fracture from Le’s kicks. Before taking his latest hiatus from MMA, Le split two fights with Scott Smith losing the first by TKO and then rebounding to win the second contest with vicious body kicks.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 0-0 (Debut)

Strengths: Excellent striking, unorthodox kicks, good wrestling

Weaknesses: Questionable off his back

Key Wins: Frank Shamrock, Sam Morgan, Tony Fryklund, Jason Von Flue, Scott Smith

Notable Losses: Scott Smith

 

 

Brian Bowles (10-1) vs. Urijah Faber (25-5)

 

Brian Bowles exploded early in his mixed martial arts career.  He joined the WEC with a 3-0 record, all by first round stoppage, in only a year of competing.  During his time in the WEC he claimed the promotion’s bantamweight championship and earned a reputation as an exciting finisher.

 

In his WEC debut, Bowles submitted Charlie Valencia in the second round with a rear naked choke.  He then knocked out formerly top ten ranked Marcos Galvao in two rounds before submitting Damacio Page 3:30 into the first round with a guillotine choke.  Bowles then finished Will Ribeiro with a third round guillotine choke.

 

After finishing Ribeiro, Bowles earned a shot at Miguel Torres’ WEC bantamweight title.  Bowles scored the upset win by knocking Torres out in the first round.  Bowles then lost for the first time in his career in his first title defense against Dominick Cruz due to TKO after breaking his hand.  Then Bowles rematched Page, once again winning by guillotine choke 3:30 into the bout. In his second UFC fight, Bowles won a one-sided decision over Takeya Mizugaki at UFC 132.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 2-0 (1 Sub)

Strengths: Great conditioning, heavy hands, most wins by submission

Weaknesses: Likes to brawl

Key Wins: Miguel Torres, Damacio Page (2), Marcos Galvao, Charlie Valencia, Will Ribeiro, Takeya Mizugaki

Notable Loss: Dominick Cruz

 

 

Urijah Faber was formerly considered the top featherweight in the world.  He first fought in the WEC with an 11-1 record, including wins over Hiroyuki Abe, Charles Bennett, and Ivan Menjivar.  After his WEC debut he won four more bouts outside of the promotion before permanently joining the WEC (until the UFC merger).

 

Already a King of the Cage champion, Faber won the WEC featherweight title in his promotional debut against Cole Escovedo.  After defending his KOTC and Gladiator Challenge titles, Faber vacated to fulfill commitments with the WEC.  Faber strung together four impressive submissions in title defenses over Joe Pearson, Dominick Cruz, Chance Farrar, and Jeff Curran before winning a decision over former UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.  Faber was then upset by Mike Brown in a first round TKO stoppage.

 

Following the loss Faber rebounded with a first round submission over Pulver, but lost his rematch with Brown by decision.  After submitting top ten ranked Raphael Assuncao, Faber lost a one-sided decision against champion Jose Aldo.  After that Faber put together a two-fight win streak, submitting Takeya Mizugaki at WEC 52 and then winning a decision over Eddie Wineland in his UFC debut. In his most recent fight though, Faber lost to the UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz by unanimous decision.

 

Quick Facts:

 

UFC Record: 1-1

Strengths: NCAA Div I wrestling background, Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt, underrated striking

Weaknesses: Can fight overly aggressive

Key Wins: Dominick Cruz, Takeya Mizugaki, Jeff Curran, Eddie Wineland, Raphael Assuncao, Cole Escovedo, Hiroyuki Abe, Bibiano Fernandes, Charles Bennett, Charlie Valencia, Naoya Uematsu, Joe Pearson, Jens Pulver (2), Chance Farrar

Notable Losses: Jose Aldo, Mike Brown (2), Tyson Griffin, Dominick Cruz

 

 

Additional Thoughts:

 

* In PDG’s match-up of the night, Rick Story (13-4) takes on Martin Kampmann (17-5). Story, who holds a 6-2 UFC record, was on a six-fight win streak until losing to Charlie Brenneman at UFC Live Kongo vs. Barry. He also holds notable career wins over Jake Ellenberger, Thiago Alves and Johny Hendricks. Kampmann is looking to stop a two-fight losing streak and secure his roster spot in the UFC. Kampmann has won Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night honors and is coming off of an eight month layoff to recover from his fight against Diego Sanchez.

 

 

* The final main card bout features Ultimate Fighter Legend Stephan Bonnar (13-7) against Ultimate Fighter Alumnus Kyle Kingsbury (11-2-1) in what promises to be a very exciting fight. Bonnar is looking for his first three-fight win streak since 2006 after recently defeating Krzysztof Soszynski and Igor Pokrajac following a three-fight losing streak. Kingsbury has won four fights in a row since losing his Octagon debut to Tom Lawlor at the TUF 8 Finale.

 

 

 

UFC 139: Shogun vs. Hendo – Fight Card

 

Main Card (PPV):

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (Main Event)

Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva (Co-Main Event)

Brian Bowles vs. Urijah Faber

Martin Kampmann vs. Rick Story (PDG’s Match-Up of the Night)

Stephan Bonnar vs. Kyle Kingsbury

 

Preliminary Card (Spike TV):

Ryan Bader vs. Jason Brilz

Michael McDonald vs. Alex Soto

 

Preliminary Card (UFC Facebook):

Tom Lawlor vs. Chris Weidman

Nick Pace vs. Miguel Torres

Rafael dos Anjos vs. Gleison Tibau

Seth Baczynski vs. Matt Brown

Shamar Bailey vs. Danny Castillo