At age 40, the resurgent Ed Herman was on his best run since 2012 heading into UFC 265.
“Short Fuse” had won three straight in the light heavyweight division, and was looking for number four in an experience vs. youth match-up against Alonzo Menifield in Houston, TX.
Menifield entered the night off a Von Flue choke submission against Fabio Cherant.
Come their light heavyweight showdown Saturday night, Menifield was swinging for the fences early. He also managed to sneak in a leg kick, but for the most part, Menifield’s game plan was: load up, swing hard. Herman, meanwhile, stayed cool under pressure, not surprising given his debut as a fighter had come back in 2003.
Herman actually managed to land the first truly significant strike of the fight, catching Menifield with a check hook. Menifield could be seen holding his hand up against his eye to protect it afterward. Menifield hit home with another leg kick, however, which saw Herman spin around as a result. Another leg kick had a similar effect. Before long, Herman’s leg was showing clear signs of damage.
Menifield circled away from Herman’s power hand to start the second. Herman, for his part, began checking some of the leg kicks that continued to hack away at him. The pair briefly hit the canvas about 90 seconds in; Menifield powered up, powered his way out of a choke, and began landing power shots on Herman. Herman covered up, and at times Menifield appeared to be outright clubbing him. But Herman survived, showing he still had a heck of a chin, and managed to hurt Menifield. Later in the round, Herman’s leg appeared to give way due to the accumulated leg kicks of Menifield. Herman switched stances, but it was clear the leg could not take much more, especially when another kick dropped Herman right at the buzzer.
Between rounds, the cageside doctor took a good look at Ed Herman’s swollen leg. But Herman, who was practically hopping on it, said he was ready to continue. Given the green light, he found himself taken down almost immediately. He didn’t stay down long; Menifield backed off, letting “Short Fuse” back to his feet.
The rest of the fight was a demonstration of both the toughness of Ed Herman, and the maturing of Alonzo Menifield. The former refused to be put away, the latter accepted the inevitability of a decision, sitting back and fighting a smart fight rather than chasing the knockout. The crowd didn’t love that approach, but it was the right one, with Menifield cruising to a decision win.
Official Result: Alonzo Menifield def. Ed Herman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
