>> joe: melendez has been very patient, mike. that's one thing i'm impressed with with his approach. he's definitely fighting at his pace. benson manages to avoid the takedown. gilbert takes it to him. >> mike: continues to push forward. michael goldberg, joe rogan. coming up after this fight, your late local news except on the west coast. second round, fight scheduled for five five-minute rounds, the champion benson henderson in the white trunks. the challenger, gilbert melendez, the strike force champion in the black trunks. very even round one. to the body.

ufc lightweight championship on the line here in our main event. >> joe: seen a bit of blood trickle out of the nose of the champion. from the punches of gilbert melendez. just missed. battle to the center of the octagon. that knee to the body again. >> mike: henderson trying to throw -- >> joe: this fight is really heating up nice. inside elbow by benson. >> mike: that's two elbows that landed for the champion. >> joe: gilbert with the leg again, but not able to hang on to it. >> mike: 30 seconds left in the second. picking up the pace, henderson. here in the latter part of this round. pace is changing again for benson henderson. moving forward more.

>> mike: in the corner, gilbert melendez seemed more concerned after that round and benson henderson was nothing but smooth, very relaxed in his corner. we're starting to see a shift in momentum, joe? >> joe: who knows. too early to tell. great fight, though. >> mike: henderson was able to push the tempo to a bit of a different level late in that second round. henderson so well conditioned as is melendez. he is equally accustomed to going the five-round distance as we mentioned. significant strike landed i

havhave very, very close. >> joe: throwing that inside leg kick, that left hook and right inside leg kick over and over again, like that combination. >> mike: no takedown either way yet. three total attempts. >> joe: switching up, southpaw. mixing it up. >> mike: watch for the big kick. there it is. heard it. >> joe: what are you? psychic? >> mike: i guess i was there. i'm surprised we haven't seen this earlier. excellent combination by the champion here too. gilbe gilbert. melendez certainly let the champion take back some of the momentum he gained in the first

round. big right hand by gilbert right as we said that. another right hand of gilbert. >> mike: melendez with the right hand now. see if henderson switches things up again. >> joe: you look at these two physically, henderson literally has razors twice the size as gilbert. >> mike: looking for a takedown here. i asked you on camera, do you feel henderson would be the bigger, stronger athlete? so far we haven't seen a significant damage. >> joe: gilbert has a bigger, stronger upper body. the way they're staked out proportionat proportionately. benson's legs are responsible for most of his attack. >> mike: a question of seeing

benson overpower his opponent. >> joe: they're exchanging body punches. he has not been able to overpower gilbert. >> mike: something general by been on the side of henderson. past the midway point of the fight now. up the middle. low kicks getting through for henderson as well. the shin is bruised up. the calf is bruised up. the thighs on both sides showing marks of red. >> joe: gilbert responds. goes in deep. >> mike: gilbert right there, though. >> joe: outstanding takedown on melendez. >> mike: 90 seconds now remain

in the third. henderson switches again. see if he requires the kick. >> joe: there it is. right to the body this time. >> mike: looking for a sidekick here. >> joe: see him changing it up. >> mike: henderson, black belt in tae kwon do. double underhook. this is a scrap now, joe. a dogfight right here. >> joe: a brawl. what a brawl. gilbert melendez is all about. this is an amazing fight. >> mike: champion against champion here on fox. to the body.

oh! >> joe: beautiful counter, inside leg kick and over elbow. >> joe: kick by melendez. melendez has never been submitted or knocked out. final seconds of the third. he does go down! hoo-hoo hoo. sir... i'll get it together i promise... heeheehee. jimmy: ronny, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? ronny:i'd say happier than the pillsbury doughboy on his way to a baking convention. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

five oceans. seven continents. whatever it takes. wherever it takes us. america's navy. a global force for good. >> mike: championship round. benson henderson averages a ufc fight time of 20 minutes. that is the longest average time in ufc history. melendez in the black, henderson in the white trunks. still a sense of urgency in the corn er of meloendemelendez.

>> joe: jake seems to think that gilbert is up and he's ahead three rounds so far. but i think it is razor close. >> watch your head, all right? >> joe: i don't see how anybody could be confident the judges are scoring it one way or another. this is a great fight. >> mike: i like the frenetic pace they battled in the third. >> joe: beautiful inside leg kick by the champion. >> mike: melendez trying to cut the angles. don't forget, after our championship fight, it is your late local news except on the west coast. mike goldberg, joe rogan, "fox ufc saturday," championship round. commercial free the rest of the way. >> joe: so far the only time the

fight has been fought, very, very evenly contested on the feet. >> mike: that kick caught. >> joe: didn't take him down this time. >> mike: henderson with the knee. very closely contested battle and you can see with the head strikes landed, and advantage henderson, and a sizable advantage in the late strike. there is another one. it is in deep that time. like that one. >> joe: nice kick by the champ, nice knee to the body by melendez, stops the takedown. beautiful takedown defense by gilbert melendez. >> mike: henderson continued to do the same, high or low kick and punish the side of melendez.

been effective with that technique thus far. just about the midway point of the fourth round. nice elbow. >> joe: he loves that stepping in left elbow. >> mike: again with the left ha hand. melendez with a nice combination. melendez, 21-2 as a pro. henderson, 18-2, unbeaten, in his ufc career. >> joe: front leg sidekick to

the side. spring out of the step opponent. looks to the elbow again. look at that. beautiful. >> mike: on his back. now he's free. good old-fashioned scrap, joe. >> joe: i think the champion is slowly starting to pull away though a bit. >> mike: what he's been able to do throughout his career ins th they. these fights that go deep. >> joe: he's just landing more that this round, mike. these are the important rounds, championship rounds. and gilbert is not really fighting with a sense of urgency right now. >> mike: 45 seconds remain in this round.

30. >> joe: good hook to the body by gilbert. he caught the kick. big right hand by melendez. >> mike: big scramble again. ten seconds. >> joe: nice shot of the exchange on the break. >> mike: this was the lead round. >> these rounds are close. you got to take the third round. take the round. you take this round, you got him for sure.

>> if you can punch him, take a punch too. >> he's swollen, he's red. use that. >> joe: this is from the third round. there is a nasty elbow by the champion. and this is from the last round, that sweep and beautiful timing the way benson just recognized the opening and dove on gilbert's back, but unable to hold him in position. fifth and final round, folks. >> mike: five minutes remain. henderson and melendez, our main event here on "fox ufc saturday."

>> joe: i'm not sure if it is anything, but if you look at gilbert melendez's right shoulder, a weird thing near his collarbone where it keeps popping up. it looks like it is almost like there is a separation or something. >> joe: the >> mike: there was. he was out 11 months with a shoulder injury. >> joe: i wonder if it ever totally healed. if you look at that area, it is noticeably protruding when he drops his arms down. >> mike: strike force fight in may of 2012. the split decision win over josh thoms thomson. >> joe: inside kick by the champion.

fifth and final round. just one takedown in this entire fight. melendez swinging for the fences. >> mike: right hand again. henderson, threw the left hand. that one's short. three minutes remain. up the middle and he missed.

>> joe: another inside leg by the champion. that elbow one more time. >> mike: total strikes landed, henderson, 127. melendez, 73. >> joe: gilbert trying to cut him off. benson is doing such a good job of not allowing gilbert to pen him in any one location. >> mike: henderson, finding his groove at the end of the second round and changing the momentum of the fight. and he continues to pour it on. there is that elbow again. sizable advantage in the leg kicks. >> joe: there is another one, the elbow. melendez is trying. he's trying to close the distance.

>> mike: neither man has been knocked out as a pro. five full rounds, five times, and a minute and a half away for six for henderson. melendez connects. 90 seconds remain. the knee. nice knee by gilbert. 1: 1:50. oh! >> joe: a good right hand by melendez. >> mike: he's going to leave it all in the octagon as is

henderson. they are on their feet here in san jose. final 45 seconds of this fight. the elbow again. >> joe: good shot to the body as well by melendez. >> mike: 30. one punch could end this fight. and they're swinging for it. >> joe: and benson looks to the elbow again. >> mike: 20 seconds. ten seconds remain! they go the distance! benson henderson, gilbert melendez, the official decision coming up next.

what a great night of action here in san jose. benson henderson, gilbert melendez, awaiting the judges to render their decision. the longest couple of minutes in a fighter's life. bruce buffer has the card and here is the official decision. >> ladies and gentlemen, after five rounds, we go to the

judges' score cards for decision. wade pierre 48-47, melendez. derrick clery scores it 48-47, henderson. and michael dell, 48-47, for the winner and still the undisputed ufc lightweight champion of the world, benson "smooth" henderson! >> mike: smooth benson henderson, winner by split decision, and here is joe rogan. >> joe: i am here with the champion once again. what's going on here? >> i got to see about a girl.

>> joe: uh-oh. i love you. i'm not perfect. i never have been. but you make me happier every single day, more than any man has a right to be. i love you. will you marry me? >> yes! >> joe: that's the way you win a crowd, ladies and gentlemen. congratulations to the both of you. congratulations to the future mrs. henderson and congratulations to you. a tough fight, a real champion in gilbert melendez. give us your thoughts on the fight. >> it was a tough fight. we all know, all the guys here, me, myself, i know how tough gill melendez is. hats off to gill, nate, i love those guys.

they're tough as heck. they bring it every single time. there is a lot -- like i said before, there is a lot bigger things than fighting. i had to take care of one of those things now, make sure she's in my life the rest of my life. >> joe: congratulations for defending your title and your successful proposal. benson henderson, ladies and gentlemen! >> mike: a bunch of yeses tonight. there is mom tonight. she's so proud. in the octagon, vicious leg kicks, a trademark of the attack of henderson. the jab, and that stepping elbow, utilized to perfection by smooth benson henderson, the winner by split decision as he defends his title for the third time on a great night of fights. now we throw it to the desk and curt menefee. >> thanks a lot, mike and joe.

chael, brian, maybe the first time i've ever heard a guy get booed during a proposal, but the crowd not liking the decision. gilbert melendez, his home area. a lot of people felt he won this fight, but it was so close. i want to hear from you guys. who do you think won this fight? do you agree with the judges? >> benson henderson won the fight, but don't make any mistake, gilbert melendez is not the loser. i believe gilbert melendez won, he won the first three rounds, but i will acknowledge this is razor thin. i'm happier to be sitting here than down there on the judges' seat. >> i scored the first three rounds for melendez. when i saw the strike, total strike calculator came up, i was surprised. i can't see everything from here. congrats to both guys. >> this is one that certainly deserves a rematch. for nonstop action here on fox, next week with yet another ufc title fight.

won't be on fox, on pay-per-view, with chael sonnen challenging light heavyweight champion john jones for his belt at ufc 159. >> you guys need to know one thing, the biggest light heavyweight fight of all time, the young john jones will go one on one with chael sonnen. when you're the greatest fighter in the world today, gentlemen, they have a name for you. they call you chael sonnen. john jones. beat me if you can. >> seven days. you ready? >> curt, listen, have a little respect and call my opponent by his full name, john soon to be former champion jones. listen, it is very hard for me to take this fight seriously. i was entertaining college scholarships when john jones was crawling up on his father's knee asking him for a couple of quarters because he heard the jingle of the ice cream truck outside. john, next saturday night at

7:00 p.m., 10:00 in the east and only on pay-per-view, you'll find out the hard way why you never challenge chael sonnen to a fight. >> you've been saving that up all night, haven't you? >> all night. >> tomorrow, sprint cup series racing for you here on fox. daytona 500 champ jimmy johnson looking for his third career victory in kansas as fox sports covers sprint cup racing beginning tomorrow at 12:30 eastern time. coming up next, though, on fox, your late local news, except right here on the west coast. and don't forget to tune into fuel tv for the ufc post fight show with jay glazer, dominick cruz and brian stann. so for brian, chael and our entire fox crew and benson henderson who kept the belt and gained a wife tonight, i'm curt menefee, good night, thanks for watching "fox ufc saturday."