Few fighters in the MMA realm appreciate toe-to-toe ruckus more than Dan Henderson.
The former two-divisional Pride champion has built a storied career on his ability to leave elite-level competitors staring up at the lights at fight’s end. Where the early stages of the former Olympian’s career saw him go to his wrestling pedigree to find success, the power in his hands has been making the difference for the better part of the past decade.
Time and time again Hendo has let his signature H-Bomb overhand right fly to devastating results, and the MMA legend will be looking to add to his highlight reel on Saturday night in New Orleans. The California-based knockout artist will face fellow powerhouse Tim Boetsch in the main event at Fight Night 68 and intends to put on a show for the passionate MMA fanbase.
“I think this fight has a lot of potential to be very exciting for the fans,” Henderson told Bleacher Report. “We both move forward and are aggressive. We are both wrestlers who have a lot of power in our hands. I think there are some holes in his game I should be able to exploit, but he’s a tough fighter. He’s not going to be easy to beat, but I’m excited to get out there and bang with him.”
While Henderson’s resume is among the best to ever compete inside the cage, the former middleweight title challenger has experienced a rough run over the past two years. He has found victory in just one of his last six fights, with his sole win over this time coming in his highly anticipated rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at Fight Night 38 back in March 2014.
And even though Henderson has struggled to enter the win column as of late, the level of competition he’s tangled with has been a collection of former champions and title challengers. Nevertheless, he has continued to test himself against the best fighters in the world.
In those challenges he finds the spark that keeps him moving forward in his fighting career, because his experience has taught him glory cannot be found under the bright lights unless the love for the fight is alive and well.
“Getting paid to do what I do and that job be something I enjoy so much is nice to have, but it wouldn’t be possible to keep my career going if I wasn’t motivated,” Henderson said. “You have to be motivated to get through the work it takes to get ready, and if that work isn’t done, it’s going to show on fight night. I’m still excited to get in there and face new challenges every time. That motivates me and I’m ready to go.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com