Natal, Brazil was supposed to have been celebrating a victor tonight as their native son, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, had the opportunity to avenge a loss suffered 28 months ago to American U.F.C. legend Dan “Hendo” Henderson. All of the signs were there that Henderson, now 43 years old, was ready for the taking: “Hendo” had lost his last three contests by becoming a robotic, one-handed rebel who had been getting hit more and more with each passing fight. Many questioned the validity of this fight but no one, including “Shogun”, questioned Henderson’s heart. The prizefight was scheduled for five rounds in the light heavyweight division and was televised on the Fox Sports 1 Network.
The opening round saw little action as both Rua and Henderson were cautious. Neither man made an effort to exert their dominance as both mostly circled each other, shooting the occasional shot with little success. With less than 30 seconds left in the round, Rua countered “Hendo” with a right-left combination to the head that sent the aging combatant down to the mat. “Shogun” proceeded to ground and pound but Henderson, using his vast experience, was able to come to his feet and maintain his wits. The referee looked closely but found no credible reason to call a halt to the contest so “Hendo” survived the round.
The second stave mirrored the first as both men hesitated to fully engage. The caveat became clear: “Shogun” was carefully looking to strike with combinations while “Hendo” waited patiently to land his lethal right-hand. There was little to choose from due to the lulls in the action but the round was finally defined by a vicious uppercut by Rua that shook Henderson’s legs and sent him to the ground. Henderson, again relying on his veteran’s guile, took everything in stride and was able to take the fight into the next round.
The third continued the combat’s slow progress. Appearing in control of the tempo and distance, Rua cautiously stalked Henderson. “Hendo’s” inactivity was clearly leading him to fall far behind on the cards and it seemed that “Shogun” was coasting his way to victory.
And then it happened.
At the 3 minute and 38 second mark of the round, “Hendo” detonated a venomous right-hand that smashed Rua’s grill, distorting the Brazilian’s facial features instantly and sending him to the canvas.
