One thing that has eluded Dan Henderson through his storied mixed martial arts career is a UFC title. If Henderson ever hopes to claim that prize, he’ll need to get past Rashad Evans at UFC 161.
Henderson (29-9) had been booked to face Jones in the main event of the ill-fated UFC 151 fight card, but a knee injury knocked him out of the event. After Jones opted to not fight Chael Sonnen on short notice, the card was scrapped—a UFC first.
Through a career that began in 1997, Henderson has racked up 13 knockout victories while never being on the receiving end of a knockout loss. Some of those knockouts have been more memorable than others, but if you asked 100 MMA fans to name the top knockout of Henderson’s career, odds are that the majority would say it was Henderson’s UFC 100 knockout of Michael Bisping.
Henderson and Bisping had coached Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter before UFC 100 and had developed a nice level of animosity. Most of the hatred was born from the relentless trash talk from Bisping, trash talk that Henderson vowed to end by shutting Bisping’s mouth with his fist.
We know now that Henderson was only partially able to accomplish that feat. When Bisping circled directly into the powerful right hand of Henderson, Bisping fell to his back out cold, only to be followed to the ground by the leaping Henderson who landed another strike to the supine Bisping.
The brutal knockout earned Henderson “Knockout of the Night” honors, but as we know, only temporarily stopped Bisping’s trash talk.
On June 15, Henderson will look to end Evans’ night in spectacular fashion. Anything less and the 42-year-old Henderson may never get the chance to claim UFC gold.
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