UFC on Fox 5 results recap: Ben Henderson vs. Nate Diaz

In the main event of UFC on Fox 5, UFC lightweight champion Ben Henderson successfully defended his title for the second time by picking up a unanimous decision win over Nate Diaz. Henderson controlled the fight, never giving Diaz the change to establish his slick boxing game or get into much of a rhythm on the floor. Diaz did threaten with some leg locks here and there, but Henderson's wrestling, strong ground and pound, and sturdy submission defense brought him out on top. The final scores were 50-43, 50-45, and 50-45.

Henderson (18-2, 6-0 UFC) continued to remain undefeated in the promotion, and caused a minor stir by apparently fighting the entire 25 minutes with a toothpick in his mouth. Diaz (16-8, 11-6 UFC) said that he took a punch in the eye early and spent the rest of the fight hoping his fuzzy vision would clear up. It never did.

What was the high point of the fight?

Definitely when Henderson was doing the splits to avoid a Diaz leg lock, the picture of calm, while Diaz flipped him off. Fox had to cut away from the fight during that section.

Where do they go from here?

Henderson reigns supreme over the UFC lightweight division, and his next challenger could come from a few different areas. If Gilbert Melendez is brought over to the UFC, he could get an immediate shot. If not, the most likely candidate would probably be the winner of the UFC on Fox 6 bout between Donald Cerrone and Anthony Pettis.

Diaz says he'll have to wait for his eye injury to heal before he can fight again, but he didn't make it sound that serious. A rematch with Gray Maynard could be in the cards for Nate in the near future.

Watch now, later, or never?

Now. While the bout never really comes close to getting finished, the pace made it one of my favorite bouts of the year. It's not for everyone, but I loved it.