One can debate these decisions all day. From where I sit, the draw with Maynard was basically a textbook example of what a tie in MMA should look like; the only people still trying to claim with a straight face that Edgar won the first Henderson fight are those with a New York/New Jersey worldview; and Saturday night, I had Edgar winning the bout 49-46.
Live by the decision, die by the decision.
Edgar has a decision of his own to make. There are plenty of fighters at lightweight who have been winning fights in an impressive manner at 155 pounds, such as Nate Diaz, who is getting the next title shot, and Donald Cerrone, whose only loss in his past nine fights was to Diaz. Neither fighter should take a backseat in the divisional pecking order to one with a .250 winning percentage since the start of last year.
If Edgar wants to stay at 155 pounds, no one is going to begrudge him the decision. But if he does so, he's simply going to have to get back in line.
The idea of Edgar going down to featherweight is nothing new. As far back as 2007, on the heels of what was considered an upset win over Tyson Griffin at UFC 67, it was suggested Edgar move to the WEC and go after then-featherweight champion Urijah Faber. Edgar stayed at lightweight and proved everyone wrong.
But it's no longer 2007. Edgar at featherweight, against a fresh set of opponents, is intriguing. Who doesn't want to see "The Answer" against Jose Aldo Jr.? Or Chan Sung Jung? Or Chad Mendes?
UFC president Dana White has been denying for awhile now that there are too many fight cards on the schedule. But Zuffa brass is well-tuned to market conditions, and nothing screams "too many shows" like a $650,000 gate on a major title rematch for a card with hometown fighters in both of the co-feature bouts. A week after getting four straight sensational fights for free, fans were asked to pay $50 for a card which featured Buddy Roberts, who doesn't belong on a PPV main card at this point in his career, and Max Holloway vs. Justin Lawrence, which, at best, is a TUF Finale-level fight. This has been a year of transition for the UFC as the company feels out its new relationship with FOX and its various properties. The UFC doesn't need to do anything drastic, but limiting PPV's to one per month, and scaling back the number of monster 12-fight cards and whittling down to maybe nine fights per evening except on special occasions would go a long way toward restoring fight-card depth.
UFC 150 Quotes
"I had it even through four." -- UFC president White, who wouldn't bite on who he thought won the Henderson-Edgar fight.
"I've got to try and control my emotion. When I fight out of emotion it doesn't add up too well. So I'm going to just stay away from all the crap talking. The fight's going to be signed so sign, train hard, and I'll see you when I see you. Other than that, we don't need to talk about it, right?" -- Cerrone, reeling in the rhetoric on his next opponent, Anthony Pettis
"God bless him. It should be a fun fight. I know he likes to go into his fights getting guys worked up in the head a little bit and stuff, so you know, his camp, everyone involved in that 209 stuff, you know, God bless ‘em. My hat's off to him, he's a tough fighter." -- Henderson on Diaz.
Good Call
To Cerrone and Melvin Guillard, for promising fireworks leading up to their fight and then delivering. UFC 150 was entering the danger zone with Yushin Okami's one-sided win over Roberts and Jake Shields and Ed Herman's snoozefest running back-to-back. But Cerrone and Guillard brought the crowd back to life with one of the most memorable brief brawls you'll ever see. Oh, and how about a little love for Jackson's MMA? The camp gets raked over the coals every time one of their fighters puts on a dull fight, but none of the credit for fights like this.
Bad Call
Before we get to the obvious one, let's give a shout-out to both Jared Hamman's corner, who let him continue when he clearly shouldn't have; and to the referee of his bout with Michael Kuiper, Adam Martinez, who apparently felt his role was akin to the "Finish Him" guy in Mortal Kombat.
With that out of the way, let's get to the scoring Henderson-Edgar. I scored the bout the same way Tony Weeks did: Round 1 to Henderson, and rounds 2-5 to Edgar. The other judges, Dave Hagen and Mark Van Tine, gave the champ Rounds 1, 3, and 4.
I have no quibble with anybody giving Henderson round three. It was that close. But, for the love of God, what were they watching in round 4? I was going to suggest perhaps their monitors had a replay of the Patriots destroying the Broncos in last year's playoffs instead, but then, they would have awarded the Broncos the game. Edgar scored a takedown in round four, got Henderson in a guillotine choke, and toward the end, even got the better of the exchanges as Henderson taunted him. And Henderson got the call in that round? Words fail me.
UFC 150 started off with a string of impressive performances. Lentz looked like a whole new fighter at 145 pounds, as he smoked veteran Eiji Mitsuoka. Camus, a Duke Roufus product, dropped the first round to Pague and then used a well-rounded game to win rounds two and three and take the decision in his UFC debut. And Perez showed power in setting the bantamweight record with a 17-second knockout of Ken Stone. Those are three different ways to make an undercard impression.
Stock Down: Ed Herman
Saturday night represented Herman's last, best chance of distinguishing himself in the pack at 185 pounds. Herman was the winner of three straight fights since returning from a knee injury, all via finish. He was elevated to the co-main event and facing a well-known name in Jake Shields. But he went out and laid an egg, putting in a head-scratching performance by willingly playing Shields' game and coming out on the wrong end of a one-sided decision for it. It doesn't get easier from here: Herman turns 32 in October and the middleweight division isn't getting any less tough.
Fight I Want To See Next: Frankie Edgar vs. Chad Mendes
First off, my first pick here was going to be Cerrone vs. Pettis, but we're apparently already getting that one, which should be one of the most anticipated co-main event bouts of late 2012. So with that taken care of, I'm going to go ahead and book Edgar's first featherweight bout for him. White made it clear Edgar wouldn't get an immediate title shot, and Chan Sung Jung gets the winner of Aldo vs. Eric Koch, so a bout with the ultra-tough Mendes would be as a good starting point for a "new" Frankie Edgar as any.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson drills Frankie Edgar with a head kick during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Franke Edgar enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson gets checked out by the commission during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar face off during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson attempts a guillotine choke on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson's mother cheers for him during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson fires a kick to the ribs of Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar lands a right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar follows up on a dropped Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson and Frankie Edgar exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson gets corner advice between rounds during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
UFC Octagon ring girl Arianny Celeste during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson lands a knee on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson lands a head kick from the ground on Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson taunts Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar lands a right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar lands an outside leg kick on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
UFC Octagon ring girl Brittney Palmer during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar lands another right hand on Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar fires a right hand to Ben Henderson's face during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson throws a knee to Frankie Edgar's ribs during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson is hit with a right hand by Frankie Edgar during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson raises their hands in victory during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson is declared the winner during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
UFC commentator Joe Rogan interviews Ben Henderson during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Ben Henderson poses with coaches and teammates during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Melvin Guillard eats a head kick from Donald Cerrone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Donald Cerrone enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Donald Cerrone eats a left straight from Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Referee Josh Rosenthal stops the fight between Donald Cerrone and Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Donald Cerrone walks off after knocking Melvin Guillard out during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Donald Cerrone is declared the winner over Melvin Guillard during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Donald Cerrone poses with coaches during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields lands an elbow on Dave Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields hears his name announced before the fight during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields attempts a straight armbar on Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields' fingers nearly rake the eyes of Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields lands a body kick on Ed Herman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jake Shields is declared the winner during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami tags Buddy Roberts with a right hand during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami enters the cage during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Buddy Roberts throws left hands during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Buddy Roberts lands a straight left on Yushin Okami during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami gets corner advice in between rounds during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami and Buddy Roberts exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami pounds on Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami ground and pounds Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami tries to lands punches on the back of Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami is pulled off by the referee during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami celebrates his victory over Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Yushin Okami is declared the winner over Buddy Roberts during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Fans of Yushin Okami celebrate his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Justin Lawrence blasts Max Holloway with a right hand during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Max Holloway and Justin Lawrence exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Msx Holloway nearly lands a left high kick on Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Justin Lawrence lands a spinning back fist on Max Holloway during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Justin Lawrence lands a jab on Max Holloway during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Max Holloway fires a knee to the ribs of Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Max Holloway connects with a left hook on Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Max Holloway follows up on a hurt Justin Lawrence during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Max Holloway celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Tommy Hayden and Dennis Bermudez exchange strikes during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez gets checked by the commission during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Tommy Harden works for a choke on the back of Dennis Bermudez during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez throws bombs from the top during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez locks up a guillotine on Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez celebrates his victory over Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez is declared the winner over Tommy Hayden during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Dennis Bermudez talks to UFC commentator Joe Rogan during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez rocks Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jared Hamman punches Michael Kuiper during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jared Hamman strikes Michael Kuiper during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Michael Kuiper drops Jared Hamman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Michael Kuiper finishes Jared Hamman during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Jared Hamman appears to be in pain during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Michael Kuiper celebrates his TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez looks to finish Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez looks to finish Ken Stone during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez celebrates his win after Ken Stone is pulled off of him during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez celebrates his 17-second TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Erik Perez celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus battles Dustin Pague on the ground during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus battles Dustin Pague on the ground during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus elbows Dustin Pague in the face during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus celebrates after his fight during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus picks up a unanimous decison win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Chico Camus, second from right, celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Nik Lentz slams Eiji Mitsuoka during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Nik Lentz celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Nik Lentz celebrates his first-round TKO win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.
UFC 150 Photos
Nik Lentz celebrates his win during UFC 150 at the Pepsi Center in Denver on Sat., Aug. 11, 2012.