Benson Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch Fight Breakdown
Broomfield, Colorado is treated to a Valentine’s Day showdown between a former lightweight champion, and a surging welterweight star at UFC Fight Night 60. Benson Henderson vs Brandon Thatch is the main attraction this coming Saturday (Febraury 14th 2015), and poses some interesting questions.
How will “Rukus” deal with the step up in competition, how will “Smooth” look in a higher weight class? We’ll find out soon enough, but for now, check out the LowKickMMA Benson Henderson vs Brandon Thatch fight breakdown:
Striking
Thatch may be the relative unknown in comparison to the former UFC and WEC lightweight champion, but he has all the makings of a future star, one of which is his vicious striking. Expect head kicks and flying knees galore on Saturday, but he faces a Taekwondo black belt in Henderson, although his striking seems to become more point-based as time goes by.
I’d describe Thatch’s striking as technical/savage; he wares his opponents down with brutal body and head kicks, and he does it very quickly. He needed just 12 strikes to finish Paulo Thiago, and only 17 to put away Justin Edwards. “”Smooth” has a habit of trying to edge guys on the cards, that backfired against Donald Cerrone (although he did out strike 86-57) and he was blasted by an acrobatic flying knee against Rafael Dos Anjos.
Henderson’s leg kicks could be the key to him winning this fight on the feet, as he has proved in the past that he can hurt guys with this tool. He could also be a lot more physically imposing with the extra fifteen pounds at welterweight.
There is  height and reach to consider; Thatch is 6 ft 2″ in comparison to Benson at 5 ft 9″, and the taller man has a 4.5″ reach advantage. It could be a long or very short night for Henderson if he decides to try and outpoint “Rukus”, I think he needs to fight fire with fire early on in this one, and drag Thatch out to the later rounds. As it stands, I’d give Thatch the edge at 60-40
Wrestling
We’ve not really seen much in the way of takedown defense or offense from Thatch, but it’s quite the opposite for “Smooth”. The former 155-pound boss is good in 46 from 97 attempted takedowns, and has a 64% stuff ratio. I’m reminded of the time that Henderson got a hold of the taller, better boxer Nate Diaz and simply ragdolled him for five rounds. Thatch is a strong, talented and athletic dude, but Bendo is a two-time NAIA All-American wrestler.
Could we see a lay-and-pray effort from “Smooth”? It’s possible, but he should beware of “Rukus” on the ground. Experience speaks volumes here, 60-40 for Henderson
Submissions
You have to give Henderson the edge in all areas here; he has the experience, the finishes, and the credentials of a high-level pure/MMA submission fighter. He holds many titles in BJJ Gi/No-Gi tournaments, nine MMA submissions from 21 wins, and has a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under John Crouch.
Thatch is no slob on the mat though, preferring to use the rear-naked choke in his three submission wins, but those long limbs of his could leave him exposed in scrambles or compromising positions on the ground. Again, 60-40 for “Smooth”
Keys to victory
For Henderson he clearly will need to survive an early storm, but will need to gain the respect of Thatch on the feet. 11 wins for “Rukus” have all come in round one, and I think it’s fair to say he’ll be coming out all guns blazing. Henderson is the more experienced fighter by far, and he’ll need to use that. Neutralize Thatch early on, blast that lead leg with the low kick, and show him the championship rounds, make it a gritty war.
For “Rukus”, he’ll probably want to think about energy conservation in this fight, as well as working the takedown defense. It could prove costly to blow the tank with a myriad of kicks and knees early on, only to find Benson survives and uses his strong wrestling in rounds three-five. Thatch should probably play Henderson at his own game; outpoint him in rounds one and two with your range, save your energetic high kicks for rounds three to five where “Smooth” usually comes on stronger.
