Better Fight? Hendo vs Rua or Chandler vs Alvarez.

Being talked about in a couple different threads, thought it is interesting enough to have it's own.


Both were GREAT fights. There is no debate there. Big swings in both fights, where all of the 4 participants were very close to finishing the fight at one point or another. I tend to lean Hendo/Rua, but I must admit I'm prob swayed a bit in having watched it live while with friends while drinking and burning, while I watched bellator by myself this morning with a slight hangover.

My argument for Hendo vs Rua is, that at it's best, it was a better fight. And what made it better was how well each of these guys were eating punches. Big, big shots, that often did not even rock the guy. Yeah, Hendo was an eyelash from ending the fight in the 3rd, but for the most part Rua was able to take the best that Hendo was dishing. And that went both ways as well, Hendo ate a bunch of big shots from Rua, and not just late, but all throughout.

On the other hand, Alvarez is a guy who is known for getting staggered, and it happened here early, and again late. And on it's own, guys getting rocked, recovering and then turning the tide is a good thing, but only in comparison to another action fight in which incredible chins were on display would this be seen as a negative.


Now there are factors which I can see would have a guy lean towards Chandler vs Alvarez. The first obviously being that this fight featured a Sub. Finishes, with all other things being equal, take precedence over a decision. Second, and I think this is a bigger then the prior is how gassed Hendo and Rua were in the 5th, especially Hendo. After 4 rnds of insanity, the 5th was a little anticlimatic. Now Im not being greedy here, just noting it in comparison to another great fight.

Again, Im prob influenced, by being under the influence, but just the same, Im leaning Rua Hendo.

being a PRIDE junkie and a big fan of both Henderson-Shogun...i'll say Hendo-Shogun. It's also rare, in my eyes atleast, that 205 and up delivers such a barnburner at such a high level of competition. Sure you might get Bonnar in some slug fest with aother average guy but two legends at 205, still at a high level having an absolute war like that..Hendo-Shogun was much better for me and the best 205 fight of all time IMO.

2 FOTY candidates in one night though. Happy MMA fan last night.

I have to give it to Hendo vs Shogun! that fight was on a different lvl

I still havent seen Chandler vs Alvarez yet.

Hendo V Shogun, best fight I have seen, two absolute warriors, that wanted to trade, that is the kinda fight that takes years off of careers, I think that both of them thought they would finsih the other, cause that pace they set for the first three rounds was crazy for a 5 round fight

Hendo-Rua had the bigger investment factor but if these were 4 unknowns I would've enjoyed Chandler-Alvarez more

Both great fights

gotta go wit the chandler alvarez one. both good fights but loved the finish and the underdog winning. Plus so happy to see the overated alvarez finished again. What kinda not made me lean towards the hendo/rua fight was the last rd. Hendo was just sooooo gassed. Pretty much same hendo from the shields /franklin match. Rua punches wernt really damaging him, he was just more gassed than anything and just tryin to survive and not pass out. Similar like chandler was in rd 3 against eddie however i doubt had there been a 6th rd hendo would of come back like chandler did in the fourth of his match. Both really good fights though but i gotta go wit chandler/alvarez

deff Hendo vs Rua. The other one was good, but Alvarez really disappointed at the end.

Just rewatched both, Alvarez-Chandler is my FOTY


Michael Chandler is so real kids

Hendo vs Rua, more emotionally invested and 2 better fighters.

The chin displayed by Chandler in round 3 is pantheon-level MMA