In The Fighter’s Mind, author Sam Sheridan writes, “Great fighters are more than just athletes. They’ve seen through the vagaries of their human soul.” However, it’s hard to pin down exactly what separates a fighter, a truly great fighter, from your typical athlete. Whatever it is, Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua have it.
[caption id="attachment_101" align="alignright" width="320" caption="Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC"]
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At UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif., Henderson and Rua went to war for 25 minutes in an instant classic. The ebb and flow of the fight was dramatic and violent, as each man found himself teetering on the brink of defeat one moment and within arm’s reach of victory the next. By fight’s end, both fighters had been rocked, dropped, taken down, caught in submissions, reversed, and everything in between. Both were so exhausted that they skipped the post-fight press conference in favor of recovering in the hospital.
It was a truly inspiring display of the resilience of the human spirit. They are two of the best fighters in the sport, unquestionably. And it might have been the best fight in MMA history.
Rua was grounded and bloodied by Henderson in the first two rounds, but it was in round three that he really showed his toughness. A thunderous right hand courtesy of "Hendo" landed on his temple moments into the round, and a barrage of hellacious punches followed on the ground. A stoppage seemingly loomed, but “Shogun” rolled for a leglock that gave him a much-needed reprieve. He survived the round, but he wore a dialated mask of crimson for his efforts.
In the fourth round the tide began to turn. Henderson was seemingly out of gas from trying to finish Rua in the early rounds, and ate stiff jabs and uppercuts from his opponent in retaliation. The blows Rua had taken to this point would have knocked out most people three times, but there he was, fighting back and winning the round.
In round five, Rua spun “Hendo” to the floor and stayed on top for the whole period, dropping tired punch after punch, elbow after elbow. He mounted his foe five times in as many minutes, but Henderson gamely stuffed Rua back to a defensive half guard to minimize danger. He was too tired to get up or mount any offense, but never too tired to lose.
After the bell rung, Rua was badly swollen and bleeding from Henderson’s early assaults, and Henderson was so out of it he could barely stand without the help of his corner.
[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignleft" width="287" caption="Rua (left) and Henderson (right) had a classic fight"]
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"He stayed in there with great heart like a champion should, and finished strong," Henderson said of his opponent, in his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. “That guy can take an F-in punch.”
“I’ll come back stronger next time,” Rua dejectedly said through his translator. “I’m sorry.”
So what does separate great fighters like Dan Henderson and Mauricio Rua from other athletes, even other fighters? Maybe it’s the ability to keep calm under fire, to sustain heavy damage and keep fighting. Maybe it’s knowing that the feeling of a true victory overshadows the fatigue and pain it took to get there.
Championship heart is a rare virtue, but it’s even rarer to witness two men with the resiliency and grit of Henderson and Rua test each other’s wills in a back and forth, action-packed fight for the ages. These are two champions in every sense of the word, regardless of whether or not they hold the belt again.
Dana White, in a post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, said, “It could be the best fight ever in MMA.”
It’s hard to argue with that.
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