Ben Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov Set To Headline June UFC Fight Night In Albuquerque
Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson has had a hit and miss time lately in his storied career, which is odd as he has only lost once in the last three years. His troubles are mainly due to his point fighting style, which UFC president Dana White is not a fan of.
After losing his title to Anthony Pettis at UFC 164, ‘Smooth’ was matched against Strikeforce crossover Josh Thomson. An impressive win would have likely earned Bendo a title shot, but he landed in Rory MacDonald territory with an eaked out decision win. It should come as no surprise that Henderson (the number one contender at 155 pounds) has now been matched with the #15 Rustam Khabilov.
Having legitimately beaten a top contender in ‘The Punk’, Henderson is being sent a clear message by his bosses at Zuffa; either become more fan-friendly to watch, or you will be fed to the wolves. Khabilov is a legit threat to anyone at lightweight at the moment, but his status in the rankings implies he is being gifted this fight.
‘Tiger’ has beaten Jorge Masvidal, Vinc Pichel and Yancy Medeiros since joining the UFC; hardly the most impressive resume, and now his first top 10 fight is the number one contender. This is a slap in the face if I’ve ever seen one.
Canadian ‘Psycho’ Rory MacDonald landed in hot water when he fought to a snoozer with Jake Ellenberger in their title contender match. MacD took a step back in the rankings as a result, and was beaten by Robbie Lawler who went on to fight for a title. Could the message be any clearer?
I’m not taking anything away from Khabilov, and I think this should be a great fight, but once again the rankings are being made to look pointless. Of course Henderson could turn this all around and decision the crap out of ‘Tiger’ on the June 7 Fight Night card.
The bout will go down in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which is the hometown of Greg Jackson’s MMA. Khabilov trains with Jackson’s so will have a home advantage (of sorts). Who are you picking in this rankings-ignoring, but potentially awesome lightweight scrap?
