UFC 150: Henderson Edges Edgar in Contentious Title Rematch
UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II took place on August 11, 2012, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. Benson Henderson retained the UFC lightweight championship by split decision over former champion Frankie Edgar in a closely contested rematch. Donald Cerrone recovered from early trouble to knock out Melvin Guillard in 76 seconds, while Max Holloway, Yushin Okami, Dennis Bermudez, and Erik Perez also produced important finishes.
Event video: Henderson versus Edgar II.
Henderson retains in another close five-round fight
The rematch followed Henderson’s unanimous-decision title win over Edgar at UFC 144. Edgar adjusted well in Denver, catching kicks, countering with punches, and scoring timely takedowns. Henderson continued attacking the legs and body and remained dangerous in scrambles.
After five rounds, two judges scored the fight 48–47 for Henderson while one had it 49–46 for Edgar. The split decision kept the title with Henderson but intensified debate over the rivalry rather than settling it cleanly.
Cerrone turns the co-main event around in seconds
Melvin Guillard came in at 157.5 pounds and was fined a percentage of his purse, so the lightweight fight proceeded as a catchweight bout. Guillard hurt Cerrone almost immediately, but Cerrone recovered, landed a left head kick, and followed with a right hand that ended the fight at 1:16 of round one.
The dramatic turnaround earned Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night honors. It was also a reminder of how quickly a fight can change when both athletes possess finishing power.
Shields–Herman was later overturned
Jake Shields originally defeated Ed Herman by unanimous decision after three rounds. That result was later overturned, and the official UFC record now lists the fight as a no contest. A current historical recap should therefore not present Shields as the official winner.
Yushin Okami stopped Buddy Roberts with ground-and-pound at 3:05 of round two. Max Holloway attacked Justin Lawrence’s body and forced a stoppage at 4:49 of the second round. Both victories helped stabilize the careers of fighters who would remain relevant well beyond this card.
Preliminaries bring five more wins
Dennis Bermudez submitted Tommy Hayden with a guillotine choke at 4:43 of the first round, earning Submission of the Night. Michael Kuiper stopped Jared Hamman in round two, Erik Perez knocked out Ken Stone in only 17 seconds, and Chico Camus won a unanimous decision over Dustin Pague. Nik Lentz opened the card with a first-round TKO of Eiji Mitsuoka.
Complete UFC 150 results
Main card
- Benson Henderson def. Frankie Edgar — split decision; round 5, 5:00. Henderson retained the UFC lightweight championship.
- Donald Cerrone def. Melvin Guillard — KO (head kick and punch); round 1, 1:16. Catchweight bout after Guillard missed weight.
- Jake Shields vs. Ed Herman — no contest; original Shields decision was overturned.
- Yushin Okami def. Buddy Roberts — TKO (punches); round 2, 3:05.
- Max Holloway def. Justin Lawrence — TKO (punches to the body); round 2, 4:49.
Preliminary card
- Dennis Bermudez def. Tommy Hayden — submission (guillotine choke); round 1, 4:43.
- Michael Kuiper def. Jared Hamman — TKO (punches); round 2, 2:16.
- Erik Perez def. Ken Stone — KO/TKO (punches); round 1, 0:17.
- Chico Camus def. Dustin Pague — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Nik Lentz def. Eiji Mitsuoka — TKO (punches); round 1, 3:45.
UFC 150 is remembered for the disputed Henderson–Edgar rematch, Cerrone’s rapid comeback knockout, and the later reversal of Shields–Herman. Explore more of our MMA coverage.
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UFC 150, UFC Results, MMA History, Henderson Edges Edgar in Contentious Title Rematch
