‘Shogun’ Feels UFC 139 Bout With Henderson Should Have Been Scored a Draw; Dana White Agrees
22 November 2011
(The winner of the rematch: the fans)
Mauricio “Shogun” Rua walked out of the Octagon Saturday night feeling like he got ripped off for the second time in his past five bouts.
According to Rua, he feels that his UFC 139 bout with former Strikeforce light heavyweight champ Dan Henderson should have been declared a draw and says that he’d like a do-over.
“It certainly was a great fight. I do not know how the judges scored the final round. It should have been 10-8 for me. But that takes nothing away from Dan Henderson,” Rua told UOL after the bout. “He is a legend and one of those fighters who have created a legacy, but I want revenge. I think [a rematch] would be another great battle and the public wants to see it.”
Henderson, on the other hand, feels that he clearly took the fight and will be adding the judges who concur to his Christmas card list this year.
“I won four rounds.” he told Joe Rogan after the bout, noting that he felt one of the rounds could have been scored a 1-8 in his favor.
Surprisingly, not a lot of MMA luminaries agree with his assertion.
UFC president Dana White had the bout 47-47, while UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones and number one middleweight contender Chael Sonnen both had it 48-47 for Rua.
The odds are for “Shogun” getting another crack at “Hendo,” considering White’s proclivity for booking immediate rematches when he feels fighters have unfinished business in the Octagon, much like he did after Lyoto Machida stole a decision away from Rua at UFC 124 in October 2009. Rua made the best of his next shot at the champ when he knocked “The Dragon” out seven months later at UFC 129 in the rematch.
The perfect venue for a rematch between the two former PRIDE stars would be the Saitama Super arena in Japan where the UFC will touch down for UFC 144 in February.
What say you, Potato Nation, does this rematch make sense?