I know that you just read the title and immediately thought that I am off my rocker. More than one person would say that I am, but hear me out on this. Benson Henderson just had the second most detrimental loss of his UFC career. The first one was to Anthony Pettis to lose the title. This loss was to Rafael Dos Anjos. It was quick and brutal, but it happened and was the best possible thing that could have happened to Henderson.
Now Henderson gets an opportunity to regroup. He was the No. 1 contender for such a long time, and with Pettis already tied up in a fight with Gilbert Melendez, Henderson was just waiting in the wings trying to hold onto his position. Now, he can take a break, sit back and rethink how to get back on top. Basically, Henderson gets a breather and some new competition. I know that a lot of people are seeing this as a massive setback for Henderson, but I think that this is the best thing that could have happened to him.
In regards to new competition, this gives Henderson an opportunity to try out new strategies and attacks. He can now take more chances and see what works and see what doesn’t. He can now try to get into the habit of finishing opponents. Let’s face the hard facts here Henderson fans; he wasn’t going to beat Pettis again, not when he fought like he had been fighting. Now, Henderson can create something new, something different, get some solid wins under his belt and make another run for the title as an athlete transformed. I expect to see great things from Henderson in the future, and this is his starting point.
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