Frankie Edgar ran out of miracles.
The New Jersey native’s trademark gutsy performance kept the fight interesting but in the end was unable to win over the judges who awarded the title to Henderson with a unanimous decision victory (49-46, 48-47, 49-46).
The turning point appeared to come at the end of the second round, when Henderson nailed Edgar with a vicious upkick and appeared to break Edgar’s nose.
The two battled ferociously for all five rounds, but Henderson’s reach and kicks looked to be the difference in ending Edgar’s storied reign as champion. Pundits are now likely to resume calls for Edgar to drop to featherweight and challenge Jose Aldo; while a rematch between Henderson and Anthony Pettis is sure to be front and center in people’s minds.
