‘Pitbull’ Freire Leg Injury Gives Benson Henderson TKO Victory in Bellator 160 Headliner

Benson Henderson was the beneficiary of unfortunate circumstances. A leg injury suffered by Patricio Freire resulted in a second-round technical knockout for Henderson in the Bellator 160 headliner on Friday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Freire (25-4) indicated he could no longer continue 2:26 into round two, the Brazilian suffering the first non-decision defeat of his 29-fight career.Henderson (24-6) was ineffective, up until the anticlimactic stoppage. Freire stayed one step ahead of the former Ultimate Fighting Championship and World Extreme Cagefighting titleholder, slicing into him with occasional right hands and kicks to the legs and body. Midway through the second round, “Pitbull” clipped Henderson with a left hook, moved in and engaged at close quarters. Once the two separated, it became clear something was wrong. Freire turned his back and waved off the match. The win made Henderson the No. 1 contender for Bellator MMA lightweight champion Michael Chandler’s crown. The two will lock horns on Nov. 19, with the 155-pound title hanging in the balance. Related » Bellator 160 Round-by-Round Scoring In the lightweight co-main event, Team Xplode MMA rep Derek Anderson recorded his third victory in four appearances, as he picked up a unanimous decision against Saad Awad. All three cageside judges scored it for Anderson (14-2): 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28. Neither man seemed willing to yield to the other in a highly entertaining scrap. A wild first round saw the two lightweights trade barbs on the feet and submission attempts on the ground, Awad (19-8) with a brabo choke and Anderson with a triangle. From the second round on, Anderson dictated much of the …

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