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Old 08-11-15, 13:55   #1
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UFC UFC Fight Night 77 Results: Vitor Belfort Stops Dan Henderson After Another Head Kick


Vitor Belfort


SAO PAULO – For almost two minutes, Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson approached each other with the same uncertainty that many MMA observers had about their third matchup, nine years after they first met in the now-defunct PRIDE.

A rubber match presented not only a question of who would emerge with a series win, but how well each would perform as members of a small group of MMA fighters who were permitted to use the now-banned testosterone-replacement therapy while competing in the UFC.

Save for a few leg kicks, though, neither man threw a strike as the bout stretched well past the one-minute mark. It seemed as though the pair expected the other to get the festivities started. But as it turned out, Belfort (25-11 MMA, 14-7 UFC) was just waiting, patiently, to attack.

A head kick came out of nowhere to stun Henderson (31-14 MMA, 8-8 UFC) and set up a knockout, the second such end after a head kick ended a 2013 meeting. Henderson won the first bout in 2006 with a wrestling-centered attack that led to a unanimous decision.

The middleweight bout was the main event of today’s UFC Fight Night 77 event at Ibirapuera Gymnasium in Sao Paulo. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

The official stoppage came at the 2:07 mark of the first round when a series of left hands made the downed Henderson go slack, awarding the 38-year-old Belfort his first win since a title shot against champ Chris Weidman ended in a first-round TKO loss and prompted questions of retirement.

It was a highlight reel finish for the man who’s highlight reel victories had not long ago raised serious questions of an unfair advantage. With a presumably clean slate, Belfort’s performance was even more notable.

“I want to say something to Brazil: Sometimes you fall down, but you pick yourself back up,” Belfort, the No. 5 ranked middleweight in the NOS Energy Drink MMA middleweight rankings, said afterward.

For Henderson, 45, it was his sixth loss in eight fights and marked his third loss via first-round stoppage since joining the UFC in 2011. The former two-division PRIDE champ said he was aware of his surroundings after getting hit and yet didn’t fault referee Mario Yamasaki for saving him.

“Obviously, he caught me with a nice kick,” Henderson said. “I ducked right into it. From that point on, I knew what was going on. Mario’s out there to protect us, and I was aware of what was going on. I can completely understand, I’m just disappointed in myself.”

A voluntary send-off would not be in the cards, however, when Henderson was asked whether he had any final words for the crowd. Just a few years ago, he was an anamoly for fighters his age. But on this night, it was Belfort’s turn to deny father time.

UFC Fight Night 77 Results:

•Vitor Belfort def. Dan Henderson via knockout (head kick, punches) – Round 1, 2:07

•Glover Teixeira def. Patrick Cummins via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 1:12

•Thomas Almeida def. Anthony Birchak via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:24

•Alex Oliveira def. Piotr Hallmann via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 0:51

•Rashid Magomedov def. Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

•Corey Anderson def. Fabio Maldonado via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

•Gleison Tibau def. Abel Trujillo via technical submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:45

•Johnny Case def. Yan Cabral via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

•Thiago Tavares def. Clay Guida via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 0:39

•Chas Skelly def. Kevin Souza via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 2, 1:56

•Viscardi Andrade def. Gasan Umalatov via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

•Jimmie Rivera def. Pedro Munhoz via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

•Matheus Nicolau def. Bruno Korea via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 3:27
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