Benson Henderson's record-tying title run was characterized, in part, by close, often contentious decisions. Apparently, Henderson's post-title run is no different.
The former UFC lightweight champion eked out split decision victory over Josh Thomson at UFC on FOX 10's main event on Saturday night, picking up his first victory since forfeiting the belt to Anthony Pettis at UFC 164. Judges Brian Puccillo (48-47) and Sal D'Amato (49-46) scored the closely contested contest for Henderson, while judge Gabriel Sabaitis (47-48) was the lone dissenter in favor of Thomson.
Afterward an understandably disappointed Thomson voiced doubts about continuing his fighting career, stating simply, "this might be it." However Thomson's loss was not without its critics, as a sizeable number of his fellow fighters expressed surprise, and in some cases, anger, after the official scorecards were read. A timeline of the action, starting in the opening round, can be read below.
@THEREALPUNK got round 1.... Ben fought tough
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
Very technical 1st round! #UFConFox10 #FOXUFCSaturday
— Akira Corassani (@AkiraCorassani) January 26, 2014
Round 1 , Strikeforce #UFConFox10
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 26, 2014
Great first round. Lots of good technique
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Rd 1 to Thomson with takedown, back control with body triangle for most of the rd, even with Bendo trying standing arm triangle 10-9 Thomson
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
@THEREALPUNK I gave round 2, to him as well. Ben gets stronger though as the fight continues
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
That round was close
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Not a bad start for you worst camp ever Thompson . 2 round to 0 for Thompson #UFConFox10
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 26, 2014
Rd 2 likely went to Henderson with Thomson against the cage for a lot of the rd. Thomson also thinks his rt hand is broken #ufconfox 19-19
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
Henderson and Thompson are both doing a lot of slick shit right now.
— Andre Fili (@TouchyFili) January 26, 2014
Ah man. What luck!!! Josh's hand is broken
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) January 26, 2014
@BensonHenderson got round 3, having a broke hand sucks. But Ben deff picked up the pace
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
Rd 3 for sure goes to Henderson #ufconfox 29-28 Bendo
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
Josh Thompson loves that body triangle @UFC
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) January 26, 2014
What is this Henderson going for double bagger!?!?!? @eddiebravo #Rubberguard
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) January 26, 2014
I would hate to be a judge...
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Rd 4 was pretty close With Henderson taking 2/3 of the rd but Thomson finishing with a body triangle and some crowd support 39-37 Bendo
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
@THEREALPUNK got round 4, Ben needs a finish!!!!!
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
I have it 3-1 for @THEREALPUNK what u think?
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) January 26, 2014
Thompson is doing a really cool little thing to get his back off the cage. I know it's a small thing in such a badass fight but I liked it.
— Andre Fili (@TouchyFili) January 26, 2014
Round 5 good fight so far! Hard to fight with a broken hand! I think he injured it right off the bat in round 1
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) January 26, 2014
It's a close fight!!!
— Takeya Mizugaki (@takeya_miz) January 26, 2014
Close fight so far! @BensonHenderson might be up @THEREALPUNK needs a hard finish @ufc #ufconfox
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) January 26, 2014
Dont leave it in the hands of the judges , they will make you cry every time - Burt Watson . This 1 to the judges #UFConFox10
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 26, 2014
48-47 Josh 👍@THEREALPUNK @ufc
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) January 26, 2014
I think Josh Thomson just "Hendersoned" Henderson. #UFConFox10
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) January 26, 2014
I gave rounds 1,2 and 4 to Josh.
— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) January 26, 2014
Could this be a draw? I gave 1 to Thompson. 2 literally either way. 3 hendo 4 Thompson and 5 neither guy took it
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
I have Henderson taking rd 5 by a small margin and taking the fight 49-46. There were some close rds though so I could be off #ufconfox
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
Draw? #UFConFox10
— Kelvin Gastelum (@KelvinGastelum) January 26, 2014
Ben Henderson vs. Josh Thomson i say Thomson by unanimous decision
— Ivan Menjivar ufc (@Ivanmenjivar) January 26, 2014
Whattttt!!!!
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) January 26, 2014
Bullahit
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) January 26, 2014
Oooo he's done it again 😳
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) January 26, 2014
Horrible decision
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) January 26, 2014
@ufc judges must hate former @Strikeforce champs.
— Cesar Gracie (@CesarGracieBJJ) January 26, 2014
BULLSHIIIIIIIT!!! #UFConFox10
— 'Rowdy' Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) January 26, 2014
"@BrianStann: Tough fight to score, could see a lot of people arguing after this one" <Didn’t see it that close tbh
— Tom Kong Watson (@TomKongWatson) January 26, 2014
Bullshit ... @THEREALPUNK won that fight
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) January 26, 2014
Oh wow Thomson just got robbed
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) January 26, 2014
@THEREALPUNK you got robbed bro.... #UFConFOX10
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) January 26, 2014
MMA judging 👎
— Dave Camarillo (@DaveCamarillo) January 26, 2014
Like @BurtWatson4real says "don't leave it to the judges cuz they will break your heart". Awesome fight by both guys either way.
— russell doane (@RussellDoane135) January 26, 2014
That decision was bullshit @UFC Thompson won that fight !!!
— Felice Herrig (@feliceherrig) January 26, 2014
Epic fight. One of my favorite predominantly grappling fights in recent memory.
— Andre Fili (@TouchyFili) January 26, 2014
I'm just gonna assume if I don't finish my fights from now on, I'm gonna lose. Great fight tonight @BensonHenderson @THEREALPUNK
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
Josh Thompson definitely won that fight! Bad judging fucks someone over again!
— Ben 'Manimal' Wall (@BenWallMMA) January 26, 2014
Hhhmmm?
— Urijah Faber (@UrijahFaber) January 26, 2014
If I had to pick a winner I would have said Thompson. Def wasn't a bad decision
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Congrats to Josh he won but Henderson won the judges @ufc @lunarpages @@fearthefighter http://t.co/jBKpm9cWWu
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) January 26, 2014
Agreed. RT @Mrk_Brdshw: @danhendo Easily. The judge who had it 4-1 for Bendo needs to be fired.
— Dan Henderson (@danhendo) January 26, 2014
Thompson conceded the center of the cage a lot though and In a close one maybe that's what did it
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Judges can be a real bummer. @THEREALPUNK was robbed. Still deserves a title shot. #UFConFox10
— Patrick Healy (@BamBamHealy) January 26, 2014
MMA judges SUCK BALLS!!!!!! #UFConFox10
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) January 26, 2014
I saw it close. Both Friends and hate to watch those types of fights.
— Tyron T-Wood Woodley (@TWooodley) January 26, 2014
Props to thepunk for stepping up and fighting a top fighter when he probly don't need to and competing with broken hand and doing very well
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
I hope @danawhite gives josh a shot at the title anyways! I like that match up, plus josh is a warrior. @ufc
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
.Punk won most of the positions but did zero damage , Benson was damaging him the whole time , good decision
— Tim Welch (@TimwelchMT) January 26, 2014
Final Stats: Total Strikes - Bendo (122/167 74%), Thomson (56/87 65%). Takedowns - Bendo (4/7 58%), Thomson (5/12 41%) there ya go.
— Tim Welch (@TimwelchMT) January 26, 2014
Well I had a great time cornering my brother benson tonight. but when my friends tell me what stupid people say... http://t.co/kE3gmIgcTN
— JOE RIGGS (@DIESELRIGGSMMA) January 26, 2014
Hats off to @TheRealPunk, WE who lay it on the line know the ups n downs that come w/the job, you're a stud, mad respect...@ufc #UFConFOX10
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) January 26, 2014
I love you @ufc fans, you make this tough job worth it, a lot of other things I could do to pay my bills but wouldn't be as fun!!!
— Benson Henderson (@BensonHenderson) January 26, 2014
I am not impressed....#GSPvoice
— Anthony Pettis (@Showtimepettis) January 26, 2014
MIOCIC TIRES OUT GONAZAGA
Stipe miocic fought a smart fight and landed some good shots. He should win a decision 30-27.. Could be 29-28 if judges gave rd 1 to gonzaga
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
Those scrambles sucked the cardio out of Gonzaga!
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) January 26, 2014
Stipe's chest compared to Gonzaga's chest looks like the evolution from monkey to man #Hairy #UFConFox10
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 26, 2014
Atta boy @smiocic great win homeboy
— Jared Hamman (@jaredhammanMMA) January 26, 2014
Gonzaga has mentally submitted in this fight. You can't concede center of the octagon for 3 rounds
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) January 26, 2014
Congrats to @smiocic good Fight @ufc @lunarpages @@fearthefighter http://t.co/RmM64mt2KU
— Roy Nelson (@roynelsonmma) January 26, 2014
@smiocic great win! More importantly..... Your hair looked great! @ufc @BRogthePredator @BrianCamozzi
— Chris Camozzi (@ChrisCamozzi) January 26, 2014
Those heavies tonight are slow.
— Todd Duffee (@ToddDuffee) January 26, 2014
Didn't think you could wear top in the cage 😳 What t-shirt is Gonzaga wearing ? 😜
— Brad Pickett (@One_Punch) January 26, 2014
Lost broke hand
— gabriel gonzaga (@gonzagabjj) January 26, 2014
Thank you so much for the support everyone. Wanted the finish but I'll take it. Cleveland was representing tonight! Insane.
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) January 26, 2014
ONE DOWN, FIVE TO GO
Wow Cerrone looking good!
— Chris Weidman (@ChrisWeidmanUFC) January 26, 2014
Boom. Make @Cowboycerrone no 1 on the Bonus list. He needs more toys! #FOXUFCSaturday @ufc
— Tom Kong Watson (@TomKongWatson) January 26, 2014
Now that was impressive! Cowboy neck kick!
— Tim Boetsch (@TimBoetsch) January 26, 2014
If cowboy can do that with eating cheeseburgers I think cole miller should watch his fucking mouth lol
— Cody Bollinger (@CodyBollinger) January 26, 2014
I may not like @Cowboycerrone but that's a sick head kick if I ever saw one.
— Cole Miller (@colemillerATT) January 26, 2014
Wow
— Hector Lombard (@HectorLombard) January 26, 2014
YES!!!! CERRONE HEAD KICK KO!!!,#ufconfox
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
BOOM!! #UFConFox10
— 'Rowdy' Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) January 26, 2014
セラーニ凄い!!! 金がないと必死だよね!! 俺も(笑) Great high kick! ! ! #UFC #UFConfox10 #UFCFightNight
— 川尻達也tatsuya kawajiri (@CRUSHER_MMA) January 26, 2014
HOLY SHIT!!!!!! @Cowboycerrone
— Dana White (@danawhite) January 26, 2014
Sweet head kick @Cowboycerrone It doesn't get any cleaner than that! #UFConFOX
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) January 26, 2014
Love me a nasty HeadKick! #CowboyUp
— MIKE RICHMAN (@MikeUSMCRichman) January 26, 2014
@Cowboycerrone should get KO of the night right there. @UFCONFOX
— John Dodson III (@JohnDodsonMMA) January 26, 2014
That was a pretty ass head kick @Cowboycerrone
— Ike Vallie-Flagg (@IKEVF) January 26, 2014
Nice kick. A pityy, Adriano was fighting well.
— Eduardo Dantas (@DuduDantasMMA) January 26, 2014
That's as NASTY as they get!!!! @ufc #UFConFox10 @danawhite @Cowboycerrone
— Bubba McDaniel (@BubbaTheMenace) January 26, 2014
I'm always freaking out watching my friends fight. Congrats @Cowboycerrone I hope you get a mad bonus!
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) January 26, 2014
Sick kick cowboy 👏👏 @ufc
— Manny Gamburyan (@MannyGamburyan) January 26, 2014
Hey @UFC please make sure I never fight on the same fight card as Cerrone #bonushog #UFConFox10
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) January 26, 2014
The highest highs and the lowest lows. Love my job @ufc pic.twitter.com/r5NKRXICbA
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) January 26, 2014
Me and @KevinHarvick enjoying a couple cold @Budweiser pic.twitter.com/4jFo1dVxDy
— Cowboy Cerrone (@Cowboycerrone) January 26, 2014
STEPHENS TAKES DOWN A TOP-10'ER
My boy fellow #Iowan @LiLHeathenMMA showing why he is a force for anyone at #145 in the @UFC!
— Colton Smith (@ColtonSmithMMA) January 26, 2014
Love the way @LiLHeathenMMA is fighting pure power!
— Jamie Varner (@jamievarner) January 26, 2014
Congrats to @LiLHeathenMMA ! Great work tonight! @AllianceMMA
— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) January 26, 2014
Elkins don't look like he trying to win. Don't seem himself tonight.
— Chris Clements (@menaceclements) January 26, 2014
Congratss @LiLHeathenMMA sick fight bro hard work payed off !!!
— Wilson Reis (@wilsonreis7) January 26, 2014
Good effort from Elkins in rd 3 but Stevens takes this one 30-27 #ufconfox
— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) January 26, 2014
My favorite fighters are those that have a genuine lust for hurting people. Jeremy Stephens and cowboy, are chillin on that list for sure
— russell doane (@RussellDoane135) January 26, 2014
@LiLHeathenMMA hell yea my brother! Fucking Upper cuts!
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) January 26, 2014
@LiLHeathenMMA Nothing but respect bro! Good luck in the future!
— Darren Elkins (@Darren_Elkins) January 26, 2014