UFC 139: Henderson Edges Shogun in an Epic Five-Round War
UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson took place on November 19, 2011, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. Dan Henderson defeated Mauricio Rua by unanimous decision after a five-round light heavyweight contest that became one of the UFC’s celebrated classics. Wanderlei Silva stopped Cung Le, Urijah Faber submitted Brian Bowles, and a twelve-fight card featured important preliminary victories for Ryan Bader, Michael McDonald, and Chris Weidman.
Related video: Henderson and Rua’s 2014 rematch in Natal.
Henderson takes the early lead; Rua makes the finish tense
Henderson returned to the UFC after winning the Strikeforce light heavyweight championship. Rua had rebounded from losing his UFC title by knocking out Forrest Griffin at UFC 134. Their meeting brought two former PRIDE champions together in a non-title main event scheduled for five rounds.
Henderson’s right hand and uppercuts helped him establish the stronger position over the opening three rounds. Rua absorbed heavy punishment and repeatedly had to recover, yet he remained in the contest. That resistance became the foundation for a dramatic change in momentum as Henderson began to tire.
Rua rallied in the fourth and fifth, landing hard punches and producing sustained ground offense. Henderson survived those late attacks, and all three judges scored the fight 48–47 in his favor. The official result was a unanimous decision, though Rua’s final-round pressure ensured that the closing minutes felt very different from the earlier rounds.
The fight’s reputation endured well beyond the evening. Henderson versus Rua was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s Fight Wing in 2018. It remains a striking example of what a five-round non-title main event can offer: enough time for an early advantage to be tested by a sustained comeback, rather than ending the story at three rounds.
Wanderlei Silva rallies against Cung Le
Silva needed a strong response after his quick loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132. Le, a former Strikeforce champion making his UFC debut, brought varied kicks and spinning attacks to his hometown audience. A spinning backfist dropped Silva in the opening round, putting the veteran under immediate pressure.
Silva survived and changed the fight in the second. His punches and knees overwhelmed Le, leading to the stoppage at 4:49. The comeback restored momentum for Silva and earned both men Fight of the Night bonuses alongside Henderson and Rua. Two very different bouts therefore shared the same award.
Faber and Kampmann secure main-card victories
Faber returned from his title loss to Dominick Cruz at UFC 132 with a decisive performance against Bowles. An uppercut helped create the finishing opportunity, and Faber secured a mounted guillotine at 1:27 of round two. He earned Submission of the Night and renewed his push toward the bantamweight championship.
Martin Kampmann defeated Rick Story over three rounds. The result was initially announced as a split decision, an error repeated in some immediate reports. A later UFC account confirmed that unanimous decision was the correct verdict. Stephan Bonnar also won unanimously, using his grappling against Kyle Kingsbury to secure another light heavyweight victory.
The preliminary card adds five finishes
Bader knocked out Jason Brilz in 77 seconds, ending a two-fight skid that included defeats to Jon Jones and Tito Ortiz. McDonald stopped Alex Soto in 56 seconds and received Knockout of the Night. Weidman remained unbeaten by putting Tom Lawlor unconscious with a D’Arce choke at 2:07 of the first round, a technical submission.
Gleison Tibau edged Rafael dos Anjos by split decision, Miguel Torres outpointed Nick Pace, Seth Baczynski submitted Matt Brown, and Danny Castillo stopped Shamar Bailey. Pace and Bailey had missed weight, so their fights proceeded at catchweights of 141 and 158 pounds respectively. Those details belong in the event record alongside the winners and methods.
Complete UFC 139 results
Main card
- Dan Henderson def. Mauricio Rua — unanimous decision; round 5, 5:00.
- Wanderlei Silva def. Cung Le — TKO (knees and punches); round 2, 4:49.
- Urijah Faber def. Brian Bowles — submission (guillotine choke); round 2, 1:27.
- Martin Kampmann def. Rick Story — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Stephan Bonnar def. Kyle Kingsbury — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00.
Preliminary card
- Ryan Bader def. Jason Brilz — KO (punch); round 1, 1:17.
- Michael McDonald def. Alex Soto — KO (punches); round 1, 0:56.
- Chris Weidman def. Tom Lawlor — technical submission (D’Arce choke); round 1, 2:07.
- Gleison Tibau def. Rafael dos Anjos — split decision; round 3, 5:00.
- Miguel Torres def. Nick Pace — unanimous decision; round 3, 5:00. Catchweight: 141 pounds.
- Seth Baczynski def. Matt Brown — submission (guillotine choke); round 2, 0:42.
- Danny Castillo def. Shamar Bailey — TKO (punches); round 1, 4:52. Catchweight: 158 pounds.
UFC 139 is remembered foremost for Henderson and Rua, but Silva’s comeback, Faber’s submission, and the preliminary finishes made the entire card substantial. Explore more of our MMA coverage.
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