UFC Books Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson Title Rematch

[Jack LaBarge]

Frankie Edgar got the rematch against Ben Henderson he asked for.

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Mar 6, 2012 - Ten days after he lost the UFC lightweight title to Ben Henderson, Frankie Edgar has been given a rematch.

Edgar confirmed the news on Twitter with a message thanking UFC President Dana White and co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta for making the rematch happen. The news was then confirmed on Twitter by White.

"Frankie Edgar and Ben Henderson rematch will be this summer," White wrote.

The decision is a departure from what White had previously indicated was his preferred choice: In the press conference immediately following Henderson's unanimous decision victory over Edgar, White said he thought Edgar should move down to featherweight to challenge champion Jose Aldo, and that Anthony Pettis deserved the next shot at Henderson.

But White has apparently been persuaded by Edgar, who has insisted that lightweight is the right division for him, and by the fans who have asked for Henderson-Edgar 2.

That means Edgar will now be in the unusual position of fighting the same opponent back to back three consecutive times. First Edgar won the lightweight title from B.J. Penn in 2010 and then defended it against Penn later that year. Then Edgar fought Gray Maynard to a draw to start 2011 and then beat Maynard later in 2011. Now Edgar has lost to Henderson to start 2012 and will get another shot at him later in the year.

This also means that Pettis has missed out on a lightweight title shot he thought he had earned for the second time. Pettis beat Henderson to become the last World Extreme Cagefighting champion and was promised a shot at the UFC lightweight title when the UFC absorbed the WEC, but that title shot was taken from him when the Edgar-Maynard draw necessitated a rematch. Now Pettis is once again being passed over.

Pettis's next step is unclear. But what is clear is that we'll see more of the same at lightweight: Ben Henderson vs. Frankie Edgar for the title.

[David Stager]

Oh, great. Just what I didn't want to see. More Frankie fucking Edgar. I hope Benson smashes him even more convincingly the second time. It would serve him right for spoiling an otherwise fantastic division when he took the title from BJ Penn.

[Cody Kietzman]

Im so tired of Frankie Edgar...

[watty31]

I love Edgar! I think what dana has done is the correct morale thing to do. Its not the best for business but in fairness to frankie, for having back to back rematches. If you were frankie you would also be pretty pieved if you didnt get a rematch. It was a close fight, even dana gave it to frankie , so i can see why they have put the rematch on. In saying that I'm not massively looking foward to it.

[David Stager]

I love Edgar! I think what dana has done is the correct morale thing to do. Its not the best for business but in fairness to frankie, for having back to back rematches. If you were frankie you would also be pretty pieved if you didnt get a rematch. It was a close fight, even dana gave it to frankie , so i can see why they have put the rematch on. In saying that I'm not massively looking foward to it.

Yeah, but if Frankie wins, it will be the most annoying thing ever. It's one thing to come back from a beating once or twice in your career, but when it becomes a habit people stop getting inspired by it and start wanting to see you get KTFOed.

[Max P.]

Seriously? So including that fight Frankie Edgar will have fought 3 guys in his last 6 matches. This rematches needs to stop, the lightweight division is way to stacked for that.

[Mitchell C]

Out struck, out damaged, unanimous decision.
The only controversy over this win was from Franky and some of his more outspoken fans claiming he won the fight.

Though, I gotta agree/disagree with you Max, he has the right to ask for a rematch.
He Fought only 3 guys because the last two demanded rematches, and he had to oblige.

But yeah, the lightweight division has too long a waiting list to let the top couple guys fight only each other.
There are at least 10 guys off hand whom need a shot at the title.

The loser of this rematch no matter the method, needs to fight one or two of them before they get a shot.

[Jonathan Wylie]

Look I like Edgar but he needs to just forget about the rematch and move down to 45 he is having problems putting guys away at 55. Yes I know he put Maynard away but it took an hour and nine minutes to do it. He can step down to 45 and we can watch Henderson and Pettis go at it again!

[Jack LaBarge]

Oddsmakers favor Edgar over new UFC champ 'Bendo,' Gustafsson over Silva
by Dann Stupp and George Garcia on Mar 08, 2012 at 1:15 pm ET
The odds are out for two new UFC main events.

Although the fight doesn't have a date, noted MMA oddsmaker and frequent MMAjunkie.com Radio guest Joey Oddessa has opened Frankie Edgar as a slight favorite (-125) over new UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (-105).

Additionally, UFC on FUEL TV 2 headliner Alexander Gustafsson (-200) is a solid favorite over replacement opponent Thiago Silva (+160).

Although he initially suggested the new champ would meet Anthony Pettis in his first title defense, UFC president Dana White instead announced earlier this week that Henderson (16-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) and Edgar (14-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) will rematch sometime this summer. The fighters first met earlier this month at UFC 144 in Japan, where Henderson earned a unanimous-decision victory to dethrone the champ and take the title.

"In rematches, Edgar seems to adapt well," Oddessa told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Case in point: the rematches vs. Gray Maynard and B.J. Penn."

Edgar made his first two successful title defenses against Penn (rematch) and Maynard (third fight). After close contests in the previous bouts, Edgar won definitely in the rematches. However, his third defense ended in heartbreak when Henderson, a former WEC champion who's undefeated in the UFC, topped him via scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 49-46 at UFC 144.

At -125, oddsmakers are giving Edgar about a 56 percent chance of winning, and Henderson (-105) has a 51 percent chance. (Due to the nature of sports betting, the figures don't add up to an event 100 percent.)

Gustafsson (13-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) and Silva (14-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC), meanwhile, meet April 14 at Stockholm's Ericsson Globe Arena. Silva recently replaced injured light heavyweight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) in the FUEL TV-televised headliner.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/27772/odds...over-silva.mma

[Max P.]

Guys, you can make some money by betting on Henderson!