UFC 139 in San Jose, Calif. is a night of former champions, a fight card topped by six men who have climbed to the summit of our sport. They’ve all worn the gold of a major MMA title at some point in their careers, and Saturday night’s event represents a step toward regaining that glory. Let’s take a look at what November 19th will mean for these six.
Dan Henderson, who will face Maurico Rua at UFC 139, has tasted gold in both Strikforce and Pride Fighting Championships; he was a champion in two weight classes in the latter. Despite his stellar resume, he has never worn a UFC belt.
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He lost his first attempt in 2007 to Quinton Jackson at UFC 75. It was a spirited and competitive affair that exhausted both men, but Jackson was awarded the decision after five back-and-forth rounds. Soon after, Henderson dropped to 185lbs in an attempt to regain the UFC Middleweight Title from Anderson Silva at UFC 82. He tapped to a rear naked choke in the second round. UFC 139 is a step toward his third chance.
The winner of Henderson and Rua may very well be the number one contender for Jon Jones’ 205lb title, and at 41 years of age, Dan Henderson knows the end of his career is coming sooner rather than later. You can already make a case for Henderson as one of the best MMA fighters of all time with championships and top ten wins across three weight classes, but if he beats his opponent on Saturday, and wins the UFC 205lb title after, his greatness will be unquestionable.
For Rua, the fight represents getting back to the top of the light heavyweight division, which he sat atop just eight months ago. He lost his belt to Jon Jones at UFC 128 in March, succumbing to punches and knees after a two-round drubbing by “Bones.”
As is always the case with “Shogun,” fans and media questioned if he was 100% for the bout. He’s was coming of a major reconstructive knee surgery, his third, and his condition came into question. If he uses his jiu jitsu and Muay Thai to get past Henderson’s wrestling and “H-bomb” right hand, he may get another chance at Jones. Then we could finally know if he was unhealthy at UFC 128 or if Jones really is that good.
[caption id="attachment_92" align="alignleft" width="288" caption="Cung Le (right) has a Sanshou background"]
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In the co-main event, Wanderlei Silva takes on Cung Le in a middleweight contest. Silva needs no introduction at this point, as his Pride career, which saw him reign over the middleweight (205lb) division for half a decade, cemented his status as a legendary brawler with a penchant for brutal finishes.
Quick knockout losses to “Rampage” Jackson and Chris Leben have resulted in retirement calls for the Brazilian, but he says he wants to compete for five more years.
MMA fans will always pay to watch Silva, but the UFC may not keep him around that long if he keeps losing. A victory against Le in San Jose could give Silva’s career a second win and a few more chances to fight in the octagon.
In Le, Silva faces a much more polished striker with flashy kicks coming from his Sanshou background. Le turning side-kicked his way to the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship in 2008, but later vacated his title because of a burgeoning filming career. Because of acting and his age (he’s 39), Le’s run in the UFC will likely serve as a showcase for his acting and a chance to become more marketable to casual audiences. This fight represents an opportunity to score a victory over a legend and add another flashy finish to his already dazzling highlight reel.
The last fight on the card featuring former champions is a bantamweight duel between Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles. The winner of the fight will likely become the number one contender to the Dominick Cruz’s title. Both Faber and Bowles have challenged Cruz for the belt in the past and come up short.
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Bowles fought Cruz in defense of his title in March of 2010, but his notoriously brittle fists– combined with his powerful punching – left him unable continue after the second round due to a hand injury. Because he wasn’t truly beaten by Cruz, the rematch between the two would still be marketable because fans didn’t get a definitive finish. He just has to get by “The California Kid” first.
Faber fared better against Cruz in his title fight, as some fans thought he actually deserved to get the decision at UFC 132. A rematch between the two is what both men want, but Faber finds himself in a peculiar situation a la Kenny Florian: he failed to win a title in one division, moved down to a lighter weight class, but again came up short of winning the belt. If he gets by Bowles on Saturday but loses to Cruz again, where does he go from there? How many more title shots can he get?
Nevertheless, Faber has a tough test to pass before he starts thinking about getting back to the title, just like the other five men at the top of UFC 139 do. But they’ll make the most of their opportunities. Because they’re champions.
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