Ten Things We Learned From UFC Fight Night 42

Last weekend, the Ultimate Fighting Championship held UFC Fight Night 42 from the Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The event was headlined by a lightweight showdown between former UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight champion Benson Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov. We also saw another lightweight battle between the hometown fan favorite, Diego Sanchez, against Ross Pearson. The event has been a hot topic in the mixed martial arts world, but what are the 10 things we learned from watching?

New Mexico Athletic Commission Needs To Set Precedent In MMA

In one of the worst judging flaps in the history of MMA, Diego Sanchez earned the split decision win against Ross Pearson. It was a fight that Pearson dominated and on the scorecards of most fans and media professionals, 30-27. Pearson has filed an appeal of the decision with the New Mexico Athletic Commission and they should at least overturn the decision to a No-Contest.

Ross Pearson Is For Real

He has had an up and down career since joining the UFC, but Pearson showed by utterly dominating Sanchez, including in the ground game where Sanchez is supposed to be world class, that he is one of the best in the UFCs lightweight division.

Benson Henderson Two Wins Away From Title Shot

Henderson put on a show of his own against the Russian-born Rustam Khabilov and could very well be a few wins away from competing for the world title again. The only thing that could keep this from happening would be if current champion Anthony Pettis keeps his belt.

Jason High Deserved to Be Let Go

In the aftermath of UFC Fight Night 42, High was released from the UFC for shoving referee Kevin Mulhall. The UFC has never been shy about punishing their fighters swiftly and this release is more proof of that. He had a 2-2 record inside the Octagon, with losses to Erick Silva and Rafael Dos Anjos.

Rustam Khabilov Isn’t Done Moving Up Rankings

Despite his lackluster performance against the former champion, the Russian isn’t done moving up in the UFC lightweight division. The 27-year-old is now 17-2 overall and 3-1 in the UFC and with the guidance of Jackson’s MMA, he will continue to grow and learn.

With Great Fights Behind Him, Diego Sanchez’s Chance to Be Headliner in The Past

When Sanchez won The Ultimate Fighter, he thought he was on his way to greatness including the world title. While he has had numerous memorable fights in his career (three Fight of the Year honors), he proved with his performance against Pearson that he is done climbing the ladder.

John Dodson Looking At Mighty Mouse

The UFC flyweight division is exciting to watch and for one of its best fighters, Dodson, UFC Fight Night 42 presented a real chance for him to move back into title contention. He connected with a vicious knee that broke the nose of his opponent, John Moraga. If current champion, Demetrious Johnson retains his title this weekend, we could see a rematch from their July 2013 fight.

Bryan Caraway Still Trying To Become Best Fighter in Household

As everyone knows, Caraway is married to former UFC women’s champion, Miesha Tate. It has long been joked about that she is a better fighter than her husband. Despite a 3-1 record in his UFC bantamweight career, Caraway has yet to drop the second-best title in their home.

Sergio Pettis Could Become UFC Champ in Future

The Pettis household must have been an interesting one with Anthony and Sergio growing up. Today, Anthony is the current UFC lightweight champion and Sergio, is now 10-1 after his win against Yaotzin Meza, and has all the talent to lead a division.

UFC Fight Night Cards Still Draw A Crowd

When the UFC began running more shows across different television networks, many fans were upset about the lack of “talent” on some of the cards. With close to 9,000 fans in attendance and an exciting fight card, the UFC proved to their fans that they will continue to provide the best shows possible.Check out Fight Night 42 event odds to see if you predict this event outcome right.