Introduction
UFC Fight Night 42: Henderson vs. Khabilov took place on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico — broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 to 1.217 million average viewers with a peak of 1.562 million, attended by 8,775 fans for a gate of $697,901. Benson Henderson submitted Rustam Khabilov with a rear-naked choke in round four of the main event to extend his UFC record to 9-1. But the lasting story from Fight Night 42 was not the main event: it was Diego Sanchez’s controversial split decision over Ross Pearson, named Sherdog’s Robbery of the Year for 2014, and Jason High’s decision to shove a referee after his loss to Rafael dos Anjos, earning him a one-year suspension from the New Mexico Athletic Commission.
Quick Stats
📅 Date: Saturday, June 7, 2014
📍 Venue: Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
👥 Attendance: 8,775
💰 Gate: $697,901
📺 Broadcast: Fox Sports 1 — 1.217M avg. viewers (1.562M peak)
🏆 Main Event: Benson Henderson vs. Rustam Khabilov — Lightweight (5 rounds)
✅ Result: Henderson def. Khabilov via Submission (RNC) — R4 (PoN $50k; 9-1 UFC record)
The Sanchez-Pearson Controversy: Robbery of the Year
Diego Sanchez and Ross Pearson met in a three-round lightweight contest. Pearson — the sharper technician, landing cleaner and more damaging strikes throughout — was scored ahead by virtually every media outlet, commentator, and independent media scorer. Three New Mexico judges were assigned to the bout. Two of them — based in Albuquerque, scoring on home soil — gave the fight to Sanchez, the Albuquerque native. The split decision drew immediate and widespread criticism. Sherdog named it Robbery of the Year for 2014. Pearson received a portion of Sanchez’s purse as the customary foul or missing-weight compensation did not apply here; this was simply a contested judging decision.
Jason High Shoves the Referee: A 1-Year Ban
Rafael dos Anjos defeated Jason High in their lightweight bout. When the fight was stopped, High expressed his displeasure physically — shoving the referee. The New Mexico Athletic Commission launched an investigation and upheld a one-year suspension. High appealed; the suspension was upheld. It was one of the more severe disciplinary outcomes from post-fight conduct in the UFC’s fight night era.
Full Results
Main Card (Fox Sports 1)
Benson Henderson def. Rustam Khabilov — Submission (RNC) — R4 — Lightweight (PoN $50k)
Diego Sanchez def. Ross Pearson — Split Decision — Lightweight (Sherdog Robbery of the Year 2014; widely scored for Pearson)
John Dodson def. John Moraga — Unanimous Decision — Flyweight
Rafael dos Anjos def. Jason High — Lightweight (High then shoved the referee → 1-year NMAC suspension upheld on appeal)
Piotr Hallmann def. Yves Edwards — Lightweight (PoN $50k)
Bryan Caraway def. Erik Perez — Bantamweight
Preliminary Card
Scott Jorgensen def. Danny Martinez — Bantamweight (FotN $50k each)
Sergio Pettis def. Yaotzin Meza — Bantamweight
Lance Benoist def. Bobby Voelker — Welterweight
Jon Tuck def. Jake Lindsey — Lightweight
Patrick Cummins def. Roger Narvaez — Light Heavyweight
Bonuses & Awards
🥇 Fight of the Night: Scott Jorgensen + Danny Martinez — $50,000 each
🥇 Performance of the Night: Benson Henderson + Piotr Hallmann — $50,000 each
Records & Milestones
• Sanchez vs. Pearson named Sherdog’s Robbery of the Year 2014 — two hometown Albuquerque judges gave the fight to the local fighter.
• Rafael dos Anjos continued his lightweight title run; Jason High’s referee shove earned a 1-year NMAC ban.
Legacy & Impact
Fight Night 42 is primarily remembered for what went wrong rather than the fights themselves. The Sanchez-Pearson verdict became a reference point in ongoing discussions about hometown judging in the UFC — the practice of assigning local judges to bouts involving local fighters, which in smaller markets can introduce a structural bias. The Jason High incident remains one of the most significant post-fight misconduct cases in UFC history. Henderson’s win over Khabilov was solid but ultimately a stepping stone: RDA would meet Henderson next, in a fight that settled the New Mexico hometown judging controversy by producing a clear result. RDA went on to win the UFC lightweight title from Anthony Pettis at UFC 185 in March 2015.
FAQ
Why was the Sanchez-Pearson decision so widely condemned?
Pearson landed cleaner, harder, and more frequently across all three rounds by virtually every measurable metric. CompuStrike data, media scorecards, and social media polling all placed Pearson clearly ahead. The two Albuquerque-based judges who gave the fight to Sanchez were not NSAC or other high-profile commission judges — they were New Mexico-licensed officials working a New Mexico event featuring a New Mexico fighter. The structure of athletic commission judging in smaller states doesn’t typically allow national or cross-state panels, creating the environment where hometown bias — whether conscious or unconscious — can influence outcomes. This was the clearest example of that problem in the UFC’s 2014 calendar.
What happened with the Jason High referee shove?
After the referee stopped the dos Anjos vs. High fight, High pushed the referee with both hands. The NMAC launched a formal investigation. High appealed the resulting one-year suspension, arguing the shove was not intentional. The commission upheld the ban. The incident contributed to UFC and athletic commission discussions about fighter conduct post-stoppage — similar to but less severe than the Palhares heel-hook issue seven months earlier. High’s UFC career effectively ended with the suspension.