Michael Bisping will defend the UFC middleweight championship against Dan Henderson in the main event of UFC 204.
You didn’t read that wrong. The year is still 2016. Michael Bisping really is the UFC middleweight champion, and Dan Henderson is really still fighting at the age of 46.
In fact, Henderson’s 46 combined with Bisping‘s 37 is the oldest title fight that doesn‘t involve Randy Couture, per Reed Kuhn of Fightnomics:
The middleweight championship fight isn’t the only one going down in Manchester, England, that’s worth keeping an eye on. The middleweight division has a fight that will shape the title picture between Gegard Mousasi and Vitor Belfort, as well as the return of prospect Mirsad Bektic.
Here’s a look at the complete card along with some predictions for the biggest fights on the card.
Mirsad Bektic vs. Russell Doane
In a division that may or may not have a king depending on how you view Conor McGregor as a featherweight, Bektic stands out as a prospect to keep an eye on.
The 25-year-old is far from a title shot as it stands right now—he’s ranked 15th in the UFC rankings.
However, it might not be long before he’s in that discussion. This will be his first fight in nearly a year-and-a-half because of an ACL injury. As Patrick Wyman of Bleacher Report noted, just how good Bektic looks in his comeback fight will be one of the most interesting things to note at UFC 204:
Russell Doane finds himself in a near must-win situation. The 30-year-old, who usually fights at bantamweight, is coming up in weight after a three-fight losing streak.
The only saving grace for him might be that he’s stepping in on short notice after two opponents pulled out of the card.
Bektic also feels that his back is against the wall despite the different trajectories of their careers, per Mike Bohn and John Morgan of MMAJunkie.
I feel like his back is up against the wall, but so is mine. I have a lot to prove as well. We’re both in different situations but similar circumstances. I’m new. He’s new. This could be great for him. He’s coming up and doesn’t have to cut so much weight. He told (UFC matchmaker) Sean Shelby, and when the ref asks him if he’s ready when he looks across the cage, he’s going to say. ‘Yes,’ and we’re going to go at it.
As long as Bektic has maintained the athleticism that made him an exciting undefeated prospect, he should take care of Doane rather easily and reinsert himself into the mix at featherweight.
Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi
On a card that is headlined by a middleweight title fight, Belfort vs. Mousasi might be the most interesting fight at 185 pounds on the card.
Belfort is obviously one of the most recognizable names in the division. At 39 years old, he’s still matching up with the best in the division and will need to bounce back after a first-round TKO loss to Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
Meanwhile, Mousasi will look to finally pick up the win over a top-five opponent that will get him in the title conversation.
As with a lot of Belfort fights, this might just be a question of how long the fight lasts. In the video below posted by the UFC, Mousasi talks about surviving Belfort‘s initial onslaught, because after that, there isn’t much left:
That’s the right strategy for Mousasi here as all three of Belfort‘s most recent wins have come by way of first-round TKO.
Belfort is still going to threaten Mousasi early, but if he can ward off the early knockout, he should have the advantage. Mousasi‘s ground game is much more polished, and his stand-up has more depth than the Brazilian.
Look for Mousasi to weather the early storm and come back to win the fight in the second or third round.
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson
This one is all about the bad blood.
Henderson isn’t your traditional title contender, but the achievements of his career make this a bit more palatable as a championship fight.
But it doesn‘t erase the fact that Bisping has looked like the much better fighter of late.
Henderson has said this is his final fight, which adds an interesting layer to a matchup that we haven’t seen in seven years.
“I think I’m content with whatever happens. Obviously, the only outcome in my head is that I’m going to win—but I’m ready for it to be over,” Henderson said, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN. “I’m kind of looking forward to the different chapter I’m going to start after this fight.”
The fact that there’s a part of Henderson that’s looking forward to this all being over doesn‘t exactly inspire confidence.
Henderson’s tendency to only look for the big shot that will knock his opponent out is usually concerning, but in a fight where he has come to peace with both outcomes, that concern might be magnified.
Regardless of how one feels about Bisping‘s win over Luke Rockhold to win the middleweight title, Bisping has experienced something of a career renaissance. He’s moving just as well as he ever did in his career at 37 years old and should be the much more technical fighter.
With Henderson’s chin fading, that should be enough for The Count to flip the script from UFC 100 and get the finish in the third round.
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