Heading into Sunday night, it’d been two and a half years since Dan Henderson had last tasted the sweet fruits of victory. Apparently, all “Hendo” needed was a bit of the ol’ Shogun Rua magic to get those juices flowing once more.
At 43 years young, Henderson somehow survived a torrential onslaught in his rematch against Rua at UFC Fight Night 38, nearly succumbing to strikes not just once, but twice, before unleashing one more H-Bomb for the ages. Henderson caught Rua with a right inside hook to the jaw, Rua dropped, and the old man finished off his handiwork to claim a thrilling third-round TKO win… and, at least for the time being, quiet all those pesky calls for his retirement.
Of course, as always, the mixed martial arts community couldn’t help but revel in the legend-on-legend carnage it was witnessing. And so, for tonight’s Pros React, our timeline picks up right where the two former champs left off, trading blows in what essentially served as round six of their campaign, right before Rua nearly ended the night early. Enjoy.
Shiiiiit there at it again
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) March 24, 2014
Holy shit! #UFCNatal
— Dylan Andrews (@dylanthevillian) March 24, 2014
Stoppage or the time ran out ??? I’m so confused right now ! #UFCFightNightNatal
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) March 24, 2014
WTF just happened?!?! #UFCFightNight
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) March 24, 2014
Wow!!! Henderson just went out like three times!! And was that the round??? No way he stopped that!
— Michael Johnson (@FollowTheMenace) March 24, 2014
Dan Henderson still tough as hell. WHAT THE HELL. WHATS HAPPENING #Ufcfightnight
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 24, 2014
Did I just see like 4 flash knockouts in the first round lol? #UFCFightNight @JuryJJ @ufc @lorenzofertitta @danawhite
— Myles Jury (@FuryJury) March 24, 2014
Wtf!!!
— Daniel Pineda (@DanielPitPineda) March 24, 2014
Please tell me Herb didnt stop that fight?!? #UFCFightNight
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) March 24, 2014
WOW, right back where they left off.. Hendo vs Shogun!!
— Mike Brown (@mikebrownmma) March 24, 2014
HOLY SHIT!!!! Great 1st round!!!!! @FOXSports1
— Dana White (@danawhite) March 24, 2014
That was great refereeing by Herb.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 24, 2014
Thank you for not stopping that! I would have been pissed!!!
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) March 24, 2014
Stubborn old man ! #UFCFightNightNatal
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) March 24, 2014
Wowww leeets go! Round 2!!!
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) March 24, 2014
Great job by Herb Dean not stopping the fight. #UFCFightNight Some of those Brazillian refs can learn from him!
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) March 24, 2014
I was about to say. My man started waving his hands, I was thinkin that it was done. Wouldve been very upsetting. Shogun rd 1 #UFCFightNight
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) March 24, 2014
Ohhhhhh fuck
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) March 24, 2014
Sickkkk uppercut!! #UFCFightNight
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) March 24, 2014
Hendo moves like C3PO but he’s still the man.
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) March 24, 2014
That cut to commercial in the 1st rd got me. I thought Shogun got the TKO! Whoa. I got Shogun taking 1st and 2nd. #UFCFightNight
— Mark Muñoz (@mark_munoz) March 24, 2014
Wooooooooooo
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) March 24, 2014
Come on @danhendo !!!
— Daniel Pineda (@DanielPitPineda) March 24, 2014
Let’s go @danhendo !
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) March 24, 2014
OMFG!!!!!!!!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) March 24, 2014
Holyshit
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) March 24, 2014
Omfg!!!!!!! Who saw that coming ????
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) March 24, 2014
Holy fuck H bomb
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) March 24, 2014
HOLY SHIIIIT. HENDO WITH THE RIGHT HAND WOW MY GOD #UFCFIGHTNIGHT
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 24, 2014
AhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHhHhhhhh!!!!!! Wowww Hendoooo!
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) March 24, 2014
Dammmmmmmmmmmnnnn! @danhendo out of no where!!!
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) March 24, 2014
WWWWOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!!!! @ufc
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) March 24, 2014
HENDO!!!!!
— Krzysztof Soszynski (@KSOSufc) March 24, 2014
Wow all hail the H bomb
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) March 24, 2014
OMG!! Yeah baby @danhendo 😀
— Dylan Andrews (@dylanthevillian) March 24, 2014
Holy shit !!!💩💩 @danhendo what a come back 👍😜
— Brad Pickett (@One_Punch) March 24, 2014
Holy crap that H Bomb has no age limit man!
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) March 24, 2014
WTFFF!!! WOW!!! What a finish by Hendo! Solid right hook on the exit of the clinch, right on the nose! #UFCFightNight #UFCNatal
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) March 24, 2014
I’m glad Dan Henderson isn’t my dad . That’s a bad old man. There will be no talking back in his house ! #UFCFightNightNatal
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) March 24, 2014
Goodnight Irene!!! Fuck ya #murica #hendo
— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) March 24, 2014
Wow @danhendo is one bad ass SOB.
— Chris Clements (@menaceclements) March 24, 2014
Hardest punch of all time ever
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) March 24, 2014
O…. M…. G! Hendo appeared to be flash KO’d a couple times to the ultimate comeback KO win! #AsRealAsItGets @ufc @lorenzofertitta
— Myles Jury (@FuryJury) March 24, 2014
Shogun fought amazing. One mistake is all it takes against Hendo.
— Matthew Brown (@IamTheImmortal) March 24, 2014
Dammm!!!! It’s no joke in the Octagon !
— Gilbert Melendez (@GilbertMelendez) March 24, 2014
Wow, Hendo is awesome!!!
— Rick Hawn (@RickHawnMMA) March 24, 2014
Yesssss! @danhendo you are my true American Hero!!!!!!!
— joey beltran (@mexicutioner760) March 24, 2014
Damn it Shogun, why am I so emotionally invested in you? #UFCFightNight
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) March 24, 2014
Dan Henderson has just surpassed John Wayne, Chuck Norris, and Tom Selleck as the most American man in history. #UFCFightNight
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) March 24, 2014
Henderson gave Shogun his nose. Crazy #UFCFightNight
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 24, 2014
That punch has me wanting to run through a wall right now.
— Stipe Miocic (@smiocic) March 24, 2014
Another classic between @danhendo and @ShogunRua .
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) March 24, 2014
Dan Henderson is always one punch away from knocking out any living object. Including bulls and elephants!
— Bahadurzada (@SiyarTheKiller) March 24, 2014
I would pay to watch these guys fight as many times as the UFC books it. Just incredible!
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) March 24, 2014
Holy Hendo! That’s a nasty broken nose. #ufc
— Tim Boetsch (@TimBoetsch) March 24, 2014
Nuclear bomb in @danhendo right hand dang sik goi
— mark richard hunt (@markhunt1974) March 24, 2014
I’m gonna order my Dan hendo mossy oak hat now! Lol #myhero #congrats @danhendo
— Samuel Sicilia (@SamSiciliaMMA) March 24, 2014
Dan Henderson is the man. Definitely not his best performance, but non the less, it was one of the most important
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) March 24, 2014
Love Hendo and Shogun, but I’m just thinking about his health, long-term. Even Shogun should consider the “R” word. #UFCFightNight
— Aljamain Sterling (@FunkMasterAljO) March 24, 2014
Totally agree with a 3rd fight. I DGAF what kind of sense it does or doesn’t make. #UFCFightNight #HendersonShogun
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 24, 2014
Like I’ve said time and time again @danhendo is AWESOME! My hero! Great job hendo.
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) March 24, 2014
Two heroes of the game!! #Warriors
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 24, 2014
DOLLAWAY CRUSHES FERREIRA
Damn. C.B Dollaway is making a habit of quieting Brazilian crowds. Wild night w/ 1 more wild fight to go! #UFCFightNight
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) March 24, 2014
That escalated quickly… #UFCFightNight
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) March 24, 2014
That was dope congrats @cbdollaway
— John Moraga (@chicanojohn) March 24, 2014
Yaaaaaaas WOT A FECKIN SHOT jst jump up out of bed like a loooney#UFCFightNightNatal
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) March 24, 2014
Great job by dalloway there. He stayed so calm right there.
— Jared Rosholt (@JaredRosholt) March 24, 2014
Good stuff by @cbdollaway The man @aaronsimpson has these guys on point! Congrats boys! #wrestlers #usa #UFCFightNightNatal
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) March 24, 2014
Great performance by Dollaway.
— michael (@bisping) March 24, 2014
Woooooooooooooo! @Cbdalloway !!! ‘Merica!!!!! Great job!
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) March 24, 2014
Bam. Wow. I liked the confidence to stand In there and exchange to get cezar out of there
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) March 24, 2014
No Caesar the dog whisperer for the Doberman @cbdollaway
— Ryan Jimmo (@RyanJimmo) March 24, 2014
Excellent work by @cbdollaway…. Didn’t see that coming!
— Matthew Brown (@IamTheImmortal) March 24, 2014
My man!!! @cbdollaway does it AGAIN in Brazil. Massive win buddy!!!
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) March 24, 2014
SIYAR IS THE REAL WINNER HERE
Majority draw!?!? Lame.
— Tony Ferguson (@TonyFergusonXT) March 24, 2014
All the boring fights should be declared a draw! #screwit
— Bahadurzada (@SiyarTheKiller) March 24, 2014
Yes this ref is horrible!!!! Sucks when u get a guy who does dumb shit like take a point for holding shorts. #warning
— Dana White (@danawhite) March 24, 2014
More like Majority bs point deduction …#UFCFightNightNatal
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunsonMMA) March 24, 2014
Wtf is wrong with this ref???
— jimi manuwa (@POSTERBOYJM) March 24, 2014
What happened to warning just take a point
— kendallgrovemma (@kendallgrovemma) March 24, 2014
I duno if I agree with thank point deduction, no warning? Santos was grabbing the cage too ?
— AL IAQUINTA (@ALIAQUINTA) March 24, 2014
Sucks for Parke. The move of the fight should be the short grab deduction
— Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) March 24, 2014
Never leave it in the hands of the judges…unless you’re in Brazil and from Brazil. #UFCFightNight
— Tim Kennedy (@TimKennedyMMA) March 24, 2014
Great performance from @norman_parke took the fight to where his opponent was weakest but it looked like he was fighting the ref as well
— Robert Whiteford UFC (@Flyinjudoka) March 24, 2014
He wasn’t great but he won the fight.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 24, 2014
I know it wasn’t the greatest of fights nor exciting..I did my best in the situation, stupid point deduction fucked it up!
— STORMIN NORMAN PARKE (@norman_parke) March 24, 2014
@danawhite seems like he ruined a few fights
— Steven Siler (@Stevesiler) March 24, 2014
DUDE JUST KEEPS COMIN’, AND COMIN’, AND COMIN’
Maldonado might be the most durable guy around. Those body shots always make me laugh. The guy is a grinder! #UFCFightNightNatal
— Joe Ellenberger (@JoeEllenberger) March 24, 2014
Wow! Something tells me that Vilante will have a headache tonight… What an entertaining fight, lot’s of heart! #UFCFightNight
— Akira Corassani (@AkiraCorassani) March 24, 2014
Maldonado is a ZOMBIE!!!!! So tough
— Dana White (@danawhite) March 24, 2014
Big fan of @MaldonadoMMA
— Chris Leben (@cripplerufc) March 24, 2014
That fight was AWESOME. Body-blow body-blow body-blow!!! I hope @MaldonadoMMA and @GPVillante get bonuses.
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) March 24, 2014
I thought the walking dead wasn’t on till later.
— michael (@bisping) March 24, 2014
Maldonado’s boxing is Crispy! !! I Love it #UFCFightNight
— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) March 24, 2014
Maldonado gives heavy handed chubby guys hope everywhere …he could maybe make 170 forget 185
— Brian Rogers (@BRogthePredator) March 24, 2014
An moldonado’s fights always heat up no matter what! He’s so calm, yet ruthless in there. Non stop pressure fighter
— TJ Grant (@TJ_Grant) March 24, 2014
AND THAT IS HOW YOU BOX IN MMA, FOLKS. #UFCFightNight
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) March 24, 2014
That was phenomenal!! 2 warriors #UFConFOX
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 24, 2014
Two best chins in the division
— Cody Donovan (@donnybrookcody) March 24, 2014
Maldonado’s boxing is crazy sharp
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) March 24, 2014
I bet Maldonado’s favorite story growing up was The Tortoise and The Hare. Slow and Steady wins the race #UFCFightNight
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) March 24, 2014
I really enjoy Fabio Maldonado
— Ian McCall (@Unclecreepymma) March 24, 2014
Maldonado landed 72 in R3, a new single-round LHW record. His 59 in R2 are the 5th most by a LHW. #UFCFightNight
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) March 24, 2014
DEDUCT ALL THE POINTS!
Point deduction for fence grabbing. Love it! #UFCFightNight
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) March 23, 2014
Don’t be mad at Mario that’s actually a correct call. He warned him, then took the point. #UFCFightNight
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 23, 2014
Taisumov is going to have to train in a cage or against the fence more, it’s his natural reaction to reach for the cage to prevent the TD
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) March 23, 2014
Huerta telling his fighter to just give up and quit 👍
— Ike Vallie-Flagg (@IKEVF) March 23, 2014
Taisumov mouth piece is really irratating him every chance he gets he is pulling it out. #UFCFightNight
— Jerome-Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) March 23, 2014
Just grab the fence again bro. I need a laugh.
— Nick Newell (@NotoriousNewell) March 23, 2014
Yamasaki ain’t messing around with those point deductions.
— michael (@bisping) March 23, 2014
Lol. I’ll translate “Dude I don’t wanna DQ you…” -Mario #UFCFightNight
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 23, 2014
CONTROVERSY RULES JASON-SILER
Early stoppage. No doubt about it. Shame for siler. Was actually throwing an up kick when the ref stepped in.
— michael (@bisping) March 23, 2014
F’ers! This ain’t boxing. #UFCFightNight
— Marcelino Evil (@KCBanditMMA) March 23, 2014
A little pre-mature but a nasty, nasty over hand right none the less. #UFCFightNight
— James Krause (@TheJamesKrause) March 23, 2014
Silar got blasted! I wish they would have let it go a little longer 😠#UFCFightNight
— Cub Swanson (@CubSwanson) March 23, 2014
Yeah, I’d say throwing up kicks would be considered intelligently defending yourself. Bad stoppage by the ref. #UFCFightNight
— Cody Gibson (@TheRenegade559) March 23, 2014
Man that was a bad deal! @ufc do you guys still have to pay that ref? He should lose his check for that BS
— Seth Baczynski (@Sethbmma) March 23, 2014
Yes @Stevesiler was hurt, but he was still intelligently trying to defend, bad stoppage in my opinion.
— Brad Tavares (@BradTavares) March 23, 2014
Poor siler that was a bummer of a stoppage looked like he was still there
— Ike Vallie-Flagg (@IKEVF) March 23, 2014
If I was a ref I wouldn’t step in until the body begins to tremble.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 23, 2014
Early stoppage. No question. Beautiful counter by Jason. Take nothing away from him.
— Kyle Kingsbury (@Kingsbu) March 23, 2014
In an early stoppage everyone loses, including the referee!
— Bahadurzada (@SiyarTheKiller) March 23, 2014
Please take that mask off your head. You are not on the set of Freddy vs Jason
— michael (@bisping) March 23, 2014