UFC 150 weigh-in: Lightweights rowdy and ready

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Aug. 10, 2012 | 5:30 p.m.

DENVER — Benson Henderson must wait one more day until it’s time to defend his UFC lightweight championship belt for the first time.

Based on his temperament at the UFC 150 weigh-in Friday afternoon at the Pepsi Center, the next 24 hours are going to pass slowly for the champion. Henderson made his way to the scale as if he was walking out for a fight.

With intensity beaming from his eyes and a scowl on his face, he took calculated steps as he gestured toward the crowd. Henderson (154.4 pounds) is ready to validate his first victory over Frankie Edgar (154.6) in their main-event rematch.

“He can think whatever he wants,” Henderson said in a video at the weigh-in. “I did more than enough to get the win the first time.”

Although Henderson won a unanimous-decision in that fight earlier this year at UFC 144, media scores were split. Several felt Edgar did enough to win the bout, which made the rematch worthwhile.

Neither Henderson nor Edgar talks trash, and they remained civil when they shook hands after squaring off for a stare-down photo. Pre-fight banter was nonexistent, but the weigh-in continued to exemplify that both men are oozing with confidence.

“I’m going to do whatever I’ve got to do to go home with the belt tomorrow,” Edgar said after weighing in.

Henderson cuts down to the 155-pound limit severely, whereas Edgar is the rare fighter who walks around weighing no more than five pounds over their weight limit. Henderson will have as much as a 20-pound advantage over Edgar Saturday after rehydrating, which makes it ironic that the challenger was heavier for a few hours on Friday.

The co-main event featured the only fighter out of 20 to miss weight. Melvin Guillard tipped the scales at 157.5 pounds. He’ll have to forfeit an undisclosed portion of his purse to opponent and old friend Donald Cerrone (155).

Guillard took the contest on less than a month’s notice, which could have potentially contributed to his difficulty making weight.

Stare-downs involving Cerrone are traditionally some of the sport’s most hateful, but his respect for Guillard was on full display. Cerrone embraced his former teammate and smiled before they posed.

Cerrone and fellow Colorado native Ed Herman (185), who fights Jake Shields (185) in a featured pay-per-view bout, received two of the warmest welcomes.

Check below for full results from the UFC 150 weigh-in.

Lightweight championship bout: Benson Henderson (154.4) vs. Frankie Edgar (154.6)

Lightweight bout: Donald Cerrone (155) vs. Melvin Guillard (157.5)

Middleweight bout: Jake Shields (85) vs. Ed Herman (185)

Middleweight bout: Yushin Okami (185) vs. Buddy Roberts (184)

Lightweight bout: Justin Lawrence (145) vs. Max Holloway (145)

Featherweight bout: Dennis Bermudez (145) vs. Tommy Hayden (144)

Middleweight bout: Jared Hamman (184) vs. Michael Kuiper (185)

Bantamweight bout: Ken Stone (135) vs. Erik Perez (135)

Bantamweight bout: Dustin Pague (136) vs. Chico Camus (135)

Featherweight bout: Nik Lentz (145) vs. Eji Mitsuoka (145)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or case.keefer@lasvegassun.com. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.