As he prepares Dan Henderson for his upcoming bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, boxing coach Gustavo Pugliese said he is confident that the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion will earn a knockout victory over Rua, who is renowned f…
As he prepares Dan Henderson for his upcoming bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, boxing coach Gustavo Pugliese said he is confident that the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion will earn a knockout victory over Rua, who is renowned for his outstanding chin.
Pugliese spoke with TATAME.com and discussed the upcoming matchup between Henderson and Rua. While analyzing the Brazilian’s skills, Pugliese said his effective striking style does show signs of weakness.
“On the tapes of Shogun’s last fights I noticed some flaws on his Boxing game,” Pugliese said.
“He only moves forward and tries to find the right angle ti punch his opponents. Since he’s not much technical, he walks a lot. Fighting a guy like Henderson, who knows when to counterattack, it’ll be dangerous for Shogun.”
Henderson is coming into the UFC after arguably putting on one of the most impressive career performances following his win over Fedor Emelianenko earlier this year. The win was Henderson’s third knockout in his last four bouts.
It allowed Henderson to enter his third stint with the UFC, setting up a bout with potential title implications surrounding it.
While he is aware of Rua’s knockout ability, Pugliese said he will have Henderson prepared for the five-round bout and look to neutralize his strengths and become more versatile with his offense.
“It ain’t no secret the way Henderson finishes his fights, so my job, along with (Daniel) Woirin, will be to prepare him correctly to use his strongest weapon, his right hand,” he said.
“Obviously, Dan will use his Wrestling when on the clinch, it’ll be important to use different weapons to get Shogun tired.”
With 13 of his 28 professional victories coming by some form of knockout, it’s no secret what one can expect from Dan Henderson when he steps into the cage. In fact, he’s finished his last three opponents via stoppage, and according to his striking coach Gustavo Pugliese, he’ll be looking to make it four straight when he meets Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on November 19th…
With 13 of his 28 professional victories coming by some form of knockout, it’s no secret what one can expect from Dan Henderson when he steps into the cage. In fact, he’s finished his last three opponents via stoppage, and according to his striking coach Gustavo Pugliese, he’ll be looking to make it four straight when he meets Mauricio “Shogun” Rua on November 19th…
It seems strange somehow to begin a discussion about the UFC light heavyweight championship without mentioning the names Jon Jones, Rashad Evans or even, in light of recent news, Lyoto Machida.Yes, there are a great many people “in the mix,” (to use Da…
It seems strange somehow to begin a discussion about the UFC light heavyweight championship without mentioning the names Jon Jones, Rashad Evans or even, in light of recent news, Lyoto Machida.
Yes, there are a great many people “in the mix,” (to use Dana-speak), for the UFC’s marquee strap.
Amid the seemingly endless Jones/Evans “will they fight, won’t they fight” narrative and the recent announcement that Machida will be getting the next shot (so apparently it’s “they won’t fight…yet”), the casual fan would be forgiven for forgetting “Shogun” Rua and Dan Henderson are even fighting, let alone in striking distance of a title shot themselves.
A month before Machida and Jones square off in Toronto, these two Pride legends will face each other in the main event of UFC 139 in San Jose. It’s the kind of matchup that got fans excited when it was first announced.
Both men are known knockout artists with a litany of scalps between them. Both men are fan favorites with long histories in the sport. Each is a former champion and the definition of world class.
But before the Machida vs. Jones announcement, the general consensus regarding this fight was that the winner would be getting the next title shot.
Now it’s not so certain.
Dan Henderson certainly hopes this fight launches him into a title situation. That’s the fight he originally wanted, after all, as the reigning Strikeforce LHW champion.
It’s the fight that seemed somewhat close to happening before the aforementioned Jones vs. Evans drama managed to (once again) hold up the top of the division.
Henderson’s campaign for a title shot is not without merit. After all, other Strikeforce champions have been brought over and given a title shot based solely on the Strikeforce belt over their shoulders.
Two Strikeforce champions received instant title shots against GSP immediately upon crossing over. OK, Jake had to fight Martin Kampmann, but after beating Hendo that was viewed by many as a gimme fight.
Of course, one of said champions blows it all by failing to show up to a press conference, while the other tries to skewer Georges’ face like he was making an eyeball thumb-kabob. But the principal remains the same.
Then there’s Alistair Overeem, the Strikeforce heavyweight champ who would probably have gotten a title shot in his UFC debut if it weren’t for the fact that Overeem vs. Dos Santos is the fight the UFC chose to go with for their FOX debut.
As it is, a marquee matchup with top PPV draw Brock Lesnar may be even more beneficial to The Reem’s career.
Then there’s talk that Strikeforce LW champ Gilbert Melendez might get an instant title shot if (when) he crosses over to the UFC. Plus there are all the rumors surrounding a potential Dominick Cruz vs. Christiane “Cyborg” Santos superfight.
OK, I just made that up. But tell me that wouldn’t be a little bit fun. And if Dominick keeps running through challengers at 135 lbs., who else are they going to throw in there with him? Answer: Kenny Florian with one leg cut off.
So Henderson’s got a case for a title shot, but what about “Shogun?” Let’s not forget that he was the reigning champion only a few months before Jon Jones ascended to the top of the division and exploded everyone’s faces.
Jones made Rua look awfully bad when he took the title from him back in March. But was it really a bad enough beating to keep him from another title shot, as it would if it happened in another division?
I say no. Plus if Jones should run through Machida and Evans, then we’re looking at a suddenly shallow list of light heavyweight title contenders. “Shogun” could definitely receive another shot in that situation.
Will the winner of Rua vs. Hendo being getting a title shot? Eventually, yes. With Machida vs. Jones already booked and Evans waiting seemingly since Biblical times for his title shot, there’s really no argument for Hendo or “Shogun” to cut in line with a win.
Still, a win here guarantees that the winner will probably be getting a title shot at some point. In today’s UFC LHW division, that’s about as much certainty as you’re going to get.
Unless, of course Evans gets injured again—or the invincible Jones should happen to lose. Either situation could see the winner of Rua vs. Henderson get fast-tracked to a title shot ASAP.
The UFC will go to San Jose for the first time on Nov. 19, and they are bringing a star-studded card headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson.Henderson re…
The UFC will go to San Jose for the first time on Nov. 19, and they are bringing a star-studded card headlined by a light heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and former Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson.
Henderson returns to the UFC for the first time since his knockout of the year against Michael Bisping. He has gone 3-1 since that 2009 victory with victories over Fedor Emelianenko, Renato Sobral and Rafael Cavalcante.
In the co-main event, Wanderlei Silva and Cung Le look to trade heavy leather in their anticipated middleweight bout.
Also on the card, bantamweights Urijah Faber and Brian Bowles will fight as well as welterweights Martin Kampmann and Rick Story.
These are early betting odds and predictions for the main card bouts.
Dan Henderson is one of the few Mixed Martial Artists who can still bring out a full A-Game despite being considered “old school” in age. But with the fact of him not having posted up that many losses as late—and his highlight reel of…
Dan Henderson is one of the few Mixed Martial Artists who can still bring out a full A-Game despite being considered “old school” in age. But with the fact of him not having posted up that many losses as late—and his highlight reel of knockouts—the most difficult thing to believe with Henderson is that he is anywhere close to peaking or peaked.
Henderson’s ability to fight past the prime he hasn’t even hit yet is reason enough why I must question myself for asking what I am about to ask. How much fight does Henderson have left in his tank coming into his UFC 139 bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, who is not even in his thirties yet?
I have a theory for most things—the most common theory relating to why people pick fighters to win even though they don’t like them—and I also have a theory as to why someone would honestly ask this question.
It really has nothing to do with how much fight Henderson has left in him, because everyone and their mothers that resemble Jayden Jaymes in a ring girl outfit all know that Henderson will give you a fight if you pay to see a fight, whether he wins or loses.
In other words, Henderson has enough fight left in him to put Shogun away before the fight hits Round 3, and some are entitled to the opinion that Henderson has the ability to sonic-boom any chin despite his age, but that’s just it.
It’s not the pattern Shogun more-or-less created in his UFC run of losing one upset, then posting up a two-fight win streak before dropping one and winning another before restarting it all over again. Because if any man can put Shogun out, frozen cold without any question of rust or injury (apart from a shook jaw), it’s Henderson.
The reason people question how much fight he has left is because in fight years, 40 means “they should stick to training guys,” and that’s probably one of the top five most asinine things that I’ve ever heard in this sport.
Henderson will always have much to offer the sport, but whether you like the guy or not, you can’t act like Henderson has nothing left.
He has more left in his tank than anyone else would want you to believe, and that’s why I bludgeon this ridiculous question in itself. In doing so with an arguable, educated answer, I also let any doubters of Henderson realize that this is not a fight that Shogun cannot lose, despite his patterns.
He got back on a roll against Forrest Griffin in Rio at UFC 134—arguably one of the best cards of this year—but what’s stopping Henderson from laying Shogun out for 25 seconds?
Maybe it’s me underestimating Shogun or maybe I’m over-hyping Henderson.
Then again, maybe it’s because it’s not November 19th yet, so we still don’t know for sure about Henderson.
After all, we never know what’s going to happen in a fight before fight night, now do we?
Lyoto Machida finally has an opponent lined up and it will be none other than UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. UFC president Dana White broke the news today on Twitter, announcing the fight as the main event of UFC 140. Jones recently defended…
Lyoto Machida finally has an opponent lined up and it will be none other than UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
UFC president Dana White broke the news today on Twitter, announcing the fight as the main event of UFC 140.
Jones recently defended his title for the first time against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson at UFC 135.
The last time we saw Machida he was retiring Randy Couture with an amazing jumping front kick that KO’d the UFC legend.
Machida will be Jones’ toughest test to date. His style of elusive karate is one of the hardest for fighters to figure out.
Despite this, Jones will find a way to beat Machida. Here are the reasons why.
As he prepares Dan Henderson for his upcoming bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 139, boxing coach Gustavo Pugliese said he is confident that the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion will earn a knockout victory over Rua, who is renowned for his outstanding chin. 