Let’s be honest: Every now and then it’s fun to get down into the nitty-gritty statistics and see if we can’t perform some MMAth. It helps us analyze future fights and make predictions based on previous history. Fans of all sports do it, so why can’t we? It can help us look for potential trends in a fighter as well. So, with thanks to Sherdog and FightMetric.com for the raw data, let’s examine the stats leading up to the main event of the upcoming UFC Fight Night Brazil: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua II.
Stats for Suckas: Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio Rua 2
Statistics |
Dan Henderson |
Mauricio Rua |
| Age | 43 | 32 |
| Camp | Team Quest | Universade de Luta |
| Record | 29-11 | 22-8 |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Reach | 74.0″ | 76.0″ |
| Win Percentage | 13 (T)KOs (45%) 2 Submissions (7%) 14 Decisions (48%) |
19 (T)KOs (86%) 1 Submission (5%) 2 Decisions (9%) |
| Loss Percentage | 1 (T)KO (9%) 3 Submissions (27%) 7 Decisions (64%) |
2 (T)KOs (25%) 3 Submissions (37.5%) 3 Decisions (37.5%) |
| Last (T)KO Victory | July 30th, 2011, over Fedor Emelianenko | Dec. 7th, 2013, over James Te Huna |
| Last Submission Victory | Oct. 28th, 1999, over Bakouri Gogitzide | Oct. 21, 2006, over Kevin Randleman |
| Last Decision Victory | Nov. 19th, 2011, over Mauricio Rua | Dec. 31st, over Kazuhiko Nakamura |
| Last (T)KO Loss | Nov. 9th, 2013, to Vitor Belfort | Mar. 19th, 2011, to Jon Jones |
| Last Submission Loss | Mar. 1st, 2008, to Anderson Silva | Aug. 17th, 2013, to Chael Sonnen |
| Last Decision Loss | Jun. 15th, 2013, to Rashad Evans | Dec. 8th, 2012, to Alexander Gustafsson |
| Submission Victories by Method | Guillotine 1x (50%) Knee to Ribs 1x (50%) |
Kneebar 1x (100%) |
| Submission Losses by method | Armbar 2x (67%) RNC 1x (33%) |
Guillotine 2x (67%) RNC 1x (33%) |
| Significant Strikes landed in first bout | 77 | 96 |
| Takedowns completed in first bout | 1 | 5 |
| Decision Victories in the UFC | 5 | 0 |
| Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute | 2.46 | 3.58 |
| Striking Accuracy | 48% | 51% |
| Significant Strikes Absorbed Per Minute | 2.46 | 2.31 |
| Striking Defense | 50% | 55% |
| Average Takedown Attempts per 15 Min. | 1.73 | 2.33 |
| Takedown Accuracy | 56% | 48% |
| Takedown Defense Percentage | 61% | 43% |
| Average Submission per 15 Min. | 0.39 | 1.05 |
| Average Submission Completion Rate | 4.79% | 5.40% |
| Most Significant Strikes Landed in a Fight | 82, on May 21st, 2001, against Akira Shoji | 96, on Nov. 19th, 2011, against Dan Henderson |
| Total Fight Time | 7 hrs, 32 min, 32 sec | 4 hrs, 24 min, 37 sec |
The last time these two fought, it ended in controversy. It was a close fight, and really should have been scored a draw. However, I think the luster of it has faded, especially in the wake of a far more technical dogfight in Johny Hendricks vs. Robbie Lawler last week. It also doesn’t help that the first meeting between Mauricio Rua and Dan Henderson may very well have been the last big hurrah of their careers. Niether man has looked all that great, with Henderson going 0-3 (including his first KO loss, to Vitor Belfort) since getting the contentious decision over “Shogun,” while the Brazilian has gone 2-2 with wins over lower-tier competition. It’s really hard to pick a winner in this fight, but given the way that Rua has alternated wins and losses, I’m going to say that Hendo takes this one in another pitched, sloppy striking battle that leads to a decision.
