Henderson (25-7) thrilled the "USA!" chanters by decking Bisping in the second round with a thunderous right thrown from a near squatting pose. Bisping (18-2) went down hard, and if it had been a boxing match, the fight would have been stopped.
However, this is the extra punishment that UFC sells without apology: Henderson pounced to deliver a tomahawk chop to Bisping's neck and head. Henderson leaped to the top of the cage in celebration.
"I knew I hit him good," said Henderson, whose U.S. team lost to Bisping's on TV. "I think that [second] one was just to shut him up a bit."
All this after UFC execs took every opportunity during the week to continue pushing the notion that their sport is reaching mainstream status.
The organization is preaching to the masses among those age 17 to 35. UFC President Dana White said in a letter to reporters distributed Saturday, "For years, we fought for respect, to prove this . . . was the most exciting live event on the planet."
But let's be honest: An Affliction shirt on anyone over 50 is still ridiculous. If you've seen Willie Mays play, you didn't pay $50 Saturday night for MMA.
And good parents probably want to think twice about letting one of their tykes under 12 risk watching either the Lesnar act or a grown man lose consciousness. That happened seconds into the first round of the first two undercard fights. As for the two-inch-long forehead gash on Mac Danzig that streamed blood like a water fountain . . . let the kids enjoy "Hannah Montana" while they can.
Still, the drinking-age, mostly male UFC audience that packed into Mandalay Bay happily turned over gobs of cash to pack into a fan expo here, pounding beers and chasing scalpers charging a minimum $300 for a seat.
UFC matchmaker Joe Silva said because of the extra attention on UFC 100, an impressive victory by any undercard fighter would launch them faster into more significant fights. Light-heavyweight Jon Jones (9-0) did his part, chopping down Jake O'Brien with a spinning elbow in the second round and applying a chokehold that caused O'Brien to tap out. UFC newcomer Yoshihiro Akiyama also won a split-decision middleweight slugfest with Mississippi's Alan Belcher.
The card paid a nod to its past when former "The Ultimate Fighter" cast member Stefan Bonnar suffered a badly cut forehead and lost to former champ Mark Coleman in a unanimous decision. Setting the mood, Coleman walked past press row with a celebratory expletive, of course.
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lance.pugmire@latimes.com
