This weekend, former UFC champ Rashad Evans will meet Pride’s two-division champ Dan Henderson in a matchup that presents huge implications in the league’s light heavyweight division.
Each fighter has his own strengths. If they are utilized come fight night, fans are bound to witness a classic matchup between two veterans of the sport of MMA.
Evans is known for his speed and combinations, which he often utilizes to set up takedowns. His fight against Thiago Silva is one of the classic examples of how he uses this game plan. In the fight, Evans was able to land some shots against Silva and use his wrestling to nullify his opponent’s punching power.
Meanwhile, Henderson made a name for himself for knocking out opponents using his punching power. At UFC 100, Michael Bisping became one of the victims of Henderson’s trademark punch, the “H Bomb.”
With these said, the winner of Evans vs. Henderson should be determined through the extent in which one of them is able to maximize his strengths against the other.
For Evans to win, he must time his takedowns by using his fast combinations. He must be aware that standing too long with Henderson presents a huge amount of risk no fighter in the light heavyweight division would like to take.
Henderson’s chance of winning this fight depends on how he can time Evans coming in and land his overhand right. Evans is not known to have a durable chin, so it is pretty much a fact that if Henderson lands one punch at the right place, the fight would be over. Also, if he can avoid Evans’ takedowns, this fight is surely his to win.
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