Saturday night will be the last time UFC and mixed martial arts fans will ever see Dan Henderson fight in the Octagon.
While the storyline of UFC 204 in Manchester, England, surrounds UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping and his grudge match against Henderson, it’s hard to ignore the reality that one of the most storied fighters in the business will be hanging up his gloves for good.
When Henderson and Bisping met and shook hands as they sized each other up on media day, it was nice to see the usual Bisping banter aimed at his opponent. But it was a pleasant surprise to see Henderson hit back with a clever quip of his own, via MMAFighting.com:
Win or lose, Henderson will always be remembered as a tough, gritty fighter with one of the most dangerous weapons in the sport of combat: the H-Bomb.
Note: Go to 11:20 of the video below to see Henderson’s brutal knockout.
UFC 100 was over seven years ago, but that knockout will remain in highlight reels for a long, long time.
Let’s face it. Bisping wants revenge against Henderson this weekend.
He doesn’t just want to win, nor does he just want to knock his opponent out. He wants to embarrass Henderson and make him regret ever landing that late elbow at UFC 100 when Bisping was already out cold on the mat, per Bleacher Report’s Patrick Wyman:
Marking his first title defense since knocking out Luke Rockhold in the first round of UFC 199, Bisping‘s first fight as champion is a head-scratcher. Why is he fighting Henderson for the title? Why not another Rockhold trilogy fight or a fight against Chris Weidman?
There are so many options in the 185-pound division, but Bisping can’t defeat his own demons and is still—understandably—haunted by the loss to Henderson.
All the pressure is on Bisping in this fight, while Henderson, well, it’s his farewell tour. And he has nothing to lose but everything to gain.
Bisping is technically sharp and one of the best strikers in the game. It’s no fluke that he has amassed 19 wins inside the Octagon in 26 UFC bouts. UFC 204 will make history for the British fighter, who will find himself tied with Tito Ortiz and Frank Mir for the most fights in the company’s history, per MMAjunkie’s Mike Bohn.
A win this Saturday, however, would put Bisping in a league of his own as the first person to ever reach 20 wins in the UFC.
And you can bet he’s ready for revenge in front of his hometown (warning: video below contains NSFW language).
Prediction
Bisping is always fun to watch. His activity and sheer volume of strikes and combinations can take out any fighter on any given day.
But fighting in front of his countrymen against a man who brutally knocked him out unconscious in his very first title defense as UFC champion, Bisping might come out a little too excited and wear himself out early on.
He is known for his cardio, but any diehard MMA fan knows what can happen when a fighter comes out of his corner too quickly and experiences an adrenaline dump. The arms become heavy, the breathing becomes more frequent and noticeable, and then all of the sudden, the fight could be over in the other fighter’s favor.
If Henderson can survive the early flurry from Bisping and take away Bisping‘s ring control, then the middleweight title is there for the taking.
Henderson is a former Olympic wrestler, but he hasn’t been much of a grappler in the UFC as of late. Taking Bisping down to the mat a couple of times early on just to throw off Bisping‘s momentum might do him some good and take away Bisping‘s ability to stand on his own feet for the duration of the fight.
For Henderson, it’s all or nothing. There’s no way he is leaving the Octagon for the final time playing by Bisping‘s rules.
Look for Henderson to create havoc with counterpunches and go toe-to-toe with the current champ until the third round, where a desperate and overly aggressive Bisping swings and misses with a left hook, leaving that jaw exposed to a Henderson right-hand delivery.
Henderson will make Bisping stumble and fall back into the cage, and will then follow up with a series of headshots until the fight is stopped.
Lightning will strike twice.
Prediction: Henderson defeats Bisping in the third round via TKO (punches).
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