UFC on FOX 10 Live Blog: Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson

This is the UFC on FOX 10 live blog for Benson Henderson vs. Josh Thomson, a lightweight bout at Saturday night's UFC event at the United Center in Chicago.

Henderson, who has won four of his past five fights, will face Thomson, who is 1-0 in his return to the UFC, on the main card.

Check out the UFC on FOX 10 live blog below.

Round 1: Big John McCarthy is the ref. Henderson changing levels early. Thomson waits for Henderson to wade in and then grabs him and throws him to the ground. Immediately grabs Henderson's back. He's trying to snatch a rear naked choke, but Henderson poised in fending him off. Now Thomson secured the body triangle, and is weaving his arms through trying again for the choke. He's prying the arm away from Henderson's body, and they reset. Thomson coolly going about his business of setting this choke up, slow and deliberately. Thomson now raining punches into Henderson's midsection, into the ribcage. Now Henderson stands up, and Thomson rides on his back. He still has the body triangle. Now he lets it down, and Henderson is able to twist forward and clinch up with Thomson, moving him to the fence. Great escape from the ex-champion. It's Henderson's turn to try and dump Thomson, but Thomson uses his leverage to stay with his back on the fence. Finally Henderson does get does get him down, and they grapple. Wow, at the end of the round, Thomson dumps Henderson on his head, and Henderson somersaults to his feet. Great opening round, with some back-and-forth action, but it belong to Thomson. MMA Fighting scores R1 for Thomson, 10-9.

Round 2: Round two, and Henderson moves forward with an uppercut. Now with a knee to the body on the fence, but Thomson snatches the leg and spins him around. Great action here. Henderson with the the middle, and he moves in with the clinch, pushing the "Punk" against the fence. He's looking for another throw or trip here, and Thomson elevates his knees and now puts intent on them, landing a knee into Henderson's body. They stay in that position and reach a stalemate, so McCarthy separates them. Back to center, and Henderson is controlling. He moves in with a kick to uppercut combo, and Thomson responds by grabbing Henderson and dumping him down. Once again, he is able to get Henderson's back, and a body triangle. Second verse, same as the first -- although this time Thomson was fishing for the arm. Henderson stands up, and again Thomson rides him like a backpack. He gives it up, and they return to the middle -- Henderson controlling the center and keeping Thomson on the fence, at range. Jabs by Henderson, and he moves in with a quickness into the clinch, posting Thomson up. Nothing doing. He lets it go, and they return to the center. More jabs by Henderson, and he lands a swift short elbow into Thomson's head on the break. Good pressure from Henderson. it's constant. Thomson, though, catches the leg and throws a sally. He lands flush on a right hand. Henderson pushes Thomson back up on the fence, and the round ends. Great action round there. MMA Fighting scores R2 for Benson Henderson, 10-9 (19-19 overall).

Round 3: Henderson out quick with a superman punch, and it lands. He gets Thomson down immediately, and tries to get his back. Thomson stands up but Henderson sticks to him, and drags him back down. Thomson able to stand back up and spin out. Thomson's hand might be broken, as he's favoring it. Henderson posts Thomson against the fence and goes to work with acute elbows, small punishments. They separate and go to the center, and Thomson now lunging forward with an elbow that clips Henderson. Good exchange. Thomson shoots for double leg and for a moment able to get Henderson down, but, he bounces right back up and into the fence. More elbows. Henderson now changing levels, punches Thomson's thigh. Thomson a gamer. He's still throwing. Again Henderson punching the right. Just as Thomson goes low for a takedown Henderson times out a knee that crashes into his thorax. That leads to a headlock momentarily by Henderson, and Thomson still pushes the action to the fence. They are back to middle; Thomson now dumped onto the canvas. Thomson clearly with a hand issues as he grimaces while pushing up to his feet. Round ends. MMA Fighting scores R3 for Henderson, 10-9 (29-28 overall for Henderson).

Round 4: Thomson clearly with hand issue. Henderson throws a kick straight off, and Thomson catches it and spins Henderson out. Henderson keeps pressure. Big kick by Henderson, but Thomson shoots in and takes Henderson down. Wow. Now he goes to work trying to ground and pound. Into half guard, he burrows his head into Henderson's chest and is rocking. Henderson into mission control, has his hand on his ankle to keep the idea of the triangle alive. Thomson dogged, though, and staying on Henderson -- relentless. Thomson now loses the position, and Henderson momentarily gets to a knee. Thomson had his back for a second, and as they got up, Henderson reverses the tables and shoots in for his own takedown. It's Henderson now with Thomson's back on the fence, softening him with knees into the back of the thighs. Now he's kicking the calf, and Thomson is trying to spin out. He does, but Henderson pushes forward to keep him posted. They break, and back to center. Good exchange at center, and both guys land. Thomson again gets a takedown inside of a minute to go, and he gets a body triangle. He's got the back, and Henderson stands up -- fixes his hair -- and now is carrying Thomson on his back. Thomson waves for the crown to get loud, and they do. The round ends with Thomson on Henderson's back. MMA Fighting scores R4 for Henderson, 10-9 (38-38 overall).

Round 5: Here we go, fifth round. Henderson quickly to the middle, and Thomson orbits. Been like this for much of the fight. Henderson comes in and lands a big shot to the body, and Thomson shrugs it off. Moves in again, and this time a knee to Thomson's body. Henderson with a leg kick. The pressure game is Henderson's; he is not punching the thigh. Methodical stuff from Henderson, as the crowd voices some displeasure. Even still, Henderson returning fire, perhaps setting up a takedown attempt. He lands the right hand flush on Henderson, the hand suspected to be broken. Leg kick from Thomson. And another one, this time knocking Henderson down. But he bounces back up. Henderson with a head kick. Big flurry from Thomson, and he connects with Henderson a couple of times. Now Henderson catches a kick, and throws Henderson against the cage and down, grabbing his back in the process. Great offense from Thomson with the chips stacked against him. He's working for takedown, but he gives up his leverage and Henderson spins him around on cage. Knees from both me in close quarters. Henderson with great variations to his assault from in close, now with an elbow on the break. Great fight, particularly given that Thomson appears hurt. They'll go the distance, circling each other at the end. Crowd boos, but that was a damn good scrap. MMA Fighting scores R3 for Thomson, 10-9 (48-47 overall for Thomson).

UFC on FOX 10 official results: Benson Henderson def. Josh Thomson via split decision (48- 47, 47-48, 49-46)