Unlike the last time he was a free agent, Dan Henderson is hoping to re-sign with the UFC.
Henderson told MMAFighting.com that he expects to talk about a new contract with the UFC “this week” because he “put it off until after Thanksgiving.”
When asked if he thinks both sides would come to terms, Henderson responded via text message, “hope so.”
The 43-year-old Henderson enters free agency on a three-fight losing streak and 1-3 in his last four fights.
UFC president Dana White said he would talk to Henderson about his future following his first-round knockout loss to Vitor Belfort last month but stopped short at guaranteeing he would undoubtedly re-sign “Hendo.”
“Yeah, obviously we’ll get together, we’ll talk to him,” White recently told Fox Sports 1. “He’s on a three-fight losing streak right now. His age and everything else, I’ve got to talk to him and see. I knew Dan would want to fight again; he’s a fighter, that’s what he does. So, we’ll talk.”
Henderson left the UFC in 2009 to sign with the upstart Strikeforce organization while on a three-fight winning streak. After Zuffa, the parent company of the UFC, purchased Strikeforce, he returned to the promotion in 2011 and re-signed with them in the midst of this current run. That deal came to an end after the Belfort fight.