With former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell coming out of retirement and his longtime rival Tito Ortiz rumored to follow suit, it seems like old is new once again in the MMA world.
UFC legend Dan Henderson doesn’t have any plans on making an Octagon return, however. That is unless enough money is on the table to persuade him to do so.
The former Pride FC champion was asked whether or not he’d fight again someday, and Henderson was completely blunt about his reasoning:
“I have no plan on getting back in there. I wouldn’t say wasting their time if they had a lot of money.”
Henderson captured titles in Pride FC and Strikeforce made his UFC return back in 2011 and alternated between wins and losses until retiring in 2016. Henderson hung up the gloves officially after a decision loss to then-champion Michael Bisping back at UFC 204.
”Hendo” earned some miraculous victories in his well-traveled career, knocking out Fedor Emelianenko at heavyweight, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at light heavyweight, Bisping at middleweight, and also securing knockout wins over Hector Lombard and Tim Boetsch before losing to Bisping and retiring.
Henderson kept it competitive for the most part, even towards the end of his storied career, and didn’t necessarily get knocked out into retirement.
Would it be worth the UFC – or any other top-level promotion – offering Henderson enough money for a comeback fight?
Veteran mixed martial artist Dan Henderson announced his retirement after his five round middleweight title fight with champion Michael Bisping last October at UFC 204. Bisping ended up winning the fight via decision, but many felt as if Henderson should’ve been given the nod. “Hendo” obviously shares that same sentiment: “Obviously it’s a little frustrating
Veteran mixed martial artist Dan Henderson announced his retirement after his five round middleweight title fight with champion Michael Bisping last October at UFC 204. Bisping ended up winning the fight via decision, but many felt as if Henderson should’ve been given the nod.
“Hendo” obviously shares that same sentiment:
“Obviously it’s a little frustrating and bums me out,” Henderson said (Via MMAFighting). ”It leaves a bad taste in my mouth with how I went out. I felt that I should have won that fight and retired as champion. I don’t dwell on things like that. I don’t wake up in the morning thinking that I got f*cked. But it’s a little frustrating. I don’t think a day goes by where somebody doesn’t bring it up, unfortunately. It was what it was. I can move on, but I felt that I beat him up and he didn’t do anything to me, so why should he have won?”
Given that he had so much success in his final fight, it would be understandable if the 46-year-old wanted to return to action, but he admitted that he doesn’t have that ‘itch’ to fight again:
“No, I don’t have any itch,” he said. “It was enough time, 20 years of doing it (MMA). If I had the itch, I’d go to the gym, spar with my guys, and I’ll be dead for the rest of the day. And that will get rid of the itch.”
Although he was never able to get his hands on the UFC title, Henderson had a tremendous career filled with many highs, some of which he detailed:
“The two Olympic games and in MMA, winning the two Pride belts, the RINGS tournament was definitely one of my highlights, I was the smallest guy out of 32 and won it, winning the belt in Strikeforce and knocking out Fedor (Emelianenko),” he said about his best memories.
Do you feel as if Henderson should remain retired?
Strange times have been experienced at middleweight recently. Right about the time that Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva, things started down a new path, leading us to a highly unexpected 2016 in the 185-pound division. As ‘The All-American’ planted that left hook on Silva way back in 2013, we knew for sure anything was possible.
Strange times have been experienced at middleweight recently. Right about the time that Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva, things started down a new path, leading us to a highly unexpected 2016 in the 185-pound division. As ‘The All-American’ planted that left hook on Silva way back in 2013, we knew for sure anything was possible. Who would have predicted, though, that three years later Michael Bisping would hold the title.
Taking nothing away from ‘The Count,’ but prior to his title win, the British slugger had fallen at the final hurdle before the title shot. Crushing losses to Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort saw the long-serving Brit come up short, but his fortunes really changed in 2015. Victories over CB Dollaway, Thales Leites and Anderson Silva led Bisping to a UFC 199 rematch with Luke Rockhold. His KO victory was equal parts entertaining and unexpected.
Unexpected Rematch
Although ageing veteran Dan Henderson was miles outside the title picture, he was paired with Michael Bisping in an unlikely rematch at UFC 204. ‘The Count’ would win the battle of attrition after five rounds, but the strange occurrences at middleweight weren’t over yet. Bisping went on record as saying he would not fight Yoel Romero if he beat Chris Weidman at UFC 205. Referencing Romero’s USADA pop, ‘The Count’ caught more backlash from ‘Soldier of God’ on social media.
With the rivalry building, Romero left no questions in New York. Typically explosive, the Cuban blasted the former champion, and today Bisping had a change of heart. Claiming he’d agreed to fight Yoel Romero at a yet-to-be determined event next spring, Michael Bisping was strangely complimentary of his next opponent. This leads us nicely to the topic of who will win this 185-pound title tilt.
Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Sprint vs. Marathon
Looking at the first round of both men’s recent fights, it’s clear to see how they implement their striking game. Romero, against Weidman at UFC 205, threw just 40 strikes over the course of ten minutes & 24 seconds of action. although ‘Soldier of God’ only needed that one knee to finish the fight, he landed a total of 18 strikes at an accuracy of 66%. Bisping’s last fight, against ‘Hendo,’ saw the champ throw 335 strikes over five rounds, landing 119 at an accuracy of 35%.
Bisping’s stand up has improved massively, and his power is consistently overlooked, but he is outmatched in terms of KO ability against Romero. Obviously this isn’t the ‘be all & end all’ of this fight, but a big factor nonetheless. If the past year at middleweight has taught us anything, though, it’s that anything’s possible with the current crop of 185-pounders.
Anderson, Chris, Luke, Michael
If you thought the title championship timeline would go like this, well then you shoulda put money on it. The odds of the belt going through the hands of Anderson Silva to Chris Weidman were long enough, but for Michael Bisping to finally reach UFC gold was just insane. The brash Brit hit everyone for a six when he cold-cocked ‘Rocky,’ so what’s to say he can’t do the same against Romero?
The biggest difference aside from physicality is wrestling. If Romero is getting lit up by Bisping, which is possible, he has the wrestling base to control even the elite of the division. Interesting times at middleweight, and surely a few more spots up the pound-for-pound rankings if Bisping wins.
Heading in to this evening’s UFC Belfast card, Gegard Mousasi has revenge on his mind. After being convincingly starched by Uriah Hall in their first fight, the well-travelled veteran ‘Dreamcatcher’ gets a second crack at the whip. Since joining the UFC in April 2013, Mousasi has gone 7-3 and is currently riding three straight wins.
Heading in to this evening’s UFC Belfast card, Gegard Mousasi has revenge on his mind. After being convincingly starched by Uriah Hall in their first fight, the well-travelled veteran ‘Dreamcatcher’ gets a second crack at the whip. Since joining the UFC in April 2013, Mousasi has gone 7-3 and is currently riding three straight wins. More recently we’ve seen a new side to the former DREAM & Strikeforce champion, as he’s become a lot more vocal in between fights.
Blasting Conor McGregor after UFC 204, Mousasi went after the now two-weight world champion in a post-fight rant. This resulted in McGregor allegedly threatening to stab ‘The Dreamcatcher’ for his comments. The 48-fight veteran hasn’t limited his trash talk to the popular Irishman, as his latest opponent Vitor Belfort caught considerable shade from Mousasi. Moving on from that rivalry, the Dutchman has began taking a few swipes at Michael Bisping.
Mousasi Says Bisping Is Protected
Speaking with the ‘Three Amigos Podcast,’ as quoted by Bloody Elbow, Gegard Mousasi discusses middleweight champion Michael Bisping. The British brawler had previously stated he would not fight Yoel Romero because of his past failed USADA test, something Mousasi doesn’t agree with:
“Well, he can say whatever he wants, but when the UFC wants to make that fight, it’s gonna happen. I don’t know…to be honest, they’ve always protected Michael Bisping a little bit because he’s from the UK and they need him for that market.”
Credit: Jason Silva USA Today
Problems With Past Abuse?
Furthering his opinion on Bisping vs. Romero, which is now targeted for Spring 2017, Mousasi says he’s happy to fight any past offenders, as long as they’re clean now:
I feel like there’s different standards for certain fighters. Take Nick Diaz; he was suspended for five years for smoking weed, but some fighters get less—even Anderson Silva. He got a 1-year suspension, and he was caught for many things. It depends on what caliber fighter and how popular you are. Do I think it’s fair? No.
If people are cheating, they should be punished, but if they’re clean, let them fight. I fought Vitor Belfort, and he has a past of TRT, but when I fought him, he was clean. Going into that fight, I don’t care if he cheated before, as long as he’s now clean.
I think USADA has done that, so I’m not afraid to fight anybody, because I know they’ve been tested and it’s very difficult to cheat. You must be really stupid to cheat, because you’re gonna get caught.
In the past, people have made a whole career with using steroids and even become the champion and made a lot of money. That’s the truth. I’m a fighter, I know exactly who cheated his way to the top. I’m not going to say any names…
That’s in the past, though. If somebody used something before, and they’re now clean, who cares? It’s a fair fight now. The past is the past.
No. 5-ranked UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi will make a quick turnaround when he rematches Uriah Hall on Nov. 19 in Belfast after just fighting former champion Vitor Belfort at Oct. 8’s UFC 204 in Manchester, England. Mousasi scored an impressive second round knockout over Belfort, but “The Dreamcatcher” feels as if “The Phenom” is
No. 5-ranked UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi will make a quick turnaround when he rematches Uriah Hall on Nov. 19 in Belfast after just fighting former champion Vitor Belfort at Oct. 8’s UFC 204 in Manchester, England.
Mousasi scored an impressive second round knockout over Belfort, but “The Dreamcatcher” feels as if “The Phenom” is a different man now a days. In fact, Mousasi says that Belfort has ‘mental issues’ due to his use infamous use of the now banned testosterone-replacement-therapy (TRT):
“I think with Vitor, he has a lot of mental issues. If you take TRT, that’s testosterone,” he said. “You’re going to be aggressive and be confident. You feel more manly and whatever you feel. I think if he hits you, then he swarms on you with punches and kicks. But, I didn’t give him that chance. He landed one punch in the beginning but with him I think it’s a lot of mental stuff,” Mousasi told Daily Star Sport.
Belfort was a poster boy for TRT use during 2013, a year that saw him score three straight head kick knockouts over the likes of Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson. Since then, however, “The Phenom” has gone just 1-3, losing all three of those bouts by way of stoppage.
Mousasi added that Belfort didn’t feel like the explosive knockout artist he once was:
“He wasn’t the typical Vitor Belfort. But, like I said, TRT it’s not just physical — mentally you’re going to feel different,” he added. “If you look at the mirror (when you’re on TRT) you’re going to feel better. These are factors with him. He came in to fight and he was looking for the opportunity to land that big punch or that kick to finish the fight, but I think he wasn’t very sure of himself.”
Taking place in Manchester, England, UFC 204 played host to Michael Bisping’s rematch with Dan Henderson. After scoring an iconic knockout win over ‘The Count’ at UFC 100, Bisping was out for revenge on home soil. For Henderson it was the last fight of an epic career. Since 1997 ‘Hendo’ has fought 47 times, scoring
Taking place in Manchester, England, UFC 204 played host to Michael Bisping’s rematch with Dan Henderson. After scoring an iconic knockout win over ‘The Count’ at UFC 100, Bisping was out for revenge on home soil. For Henderson it was the last fight of an epic career. Since 1997 ‘Hendo’ has fought 47 times, scoring 32 wins with 18 finishes. Victory at UFC 204 would have meant a UFC title, at last, and would’ve seen Henderson become the oldest UFC champion on record. After five hard rounds, ‘Hendo’s’ hopes of winning UFC gold were dashed.
Rendering a unanimous decision in the favor of the champion, the judges sparked a huge debate in the aftermath of UFC 204. Having scored two big knockdowns with his patented right hand, Henderson undoubtedly put on a fine performance. Wearing the fight on his face after all was said and done, many fans argued Bisping’s war wounds were an indicator he’d lost. The strike stats showed it was close, but the Brit ultimately went home with the score now levelled.
Over?
Retiring after the fight, Dan Henderson pulled down the curtain on a truly legendary career. The two-weight Pride FC and former Strikeforce boss put in a valiant effort, and was humble after UFC 204, until now. In an article published by Champions.co, ‘Hendo’ says he’s re-watched the fight, and is pissed about it.
I finally got around to watching the video of it last night, and I’ll admit, I’m pretty pissed about it. I was going to say frustrated, but that doesn’t quite cover the range of feelings I’ve got right now.
He just wasn’t doing anything to me. He was throwing punches that weren’t really landing or were just barely touching me. Most of the punches I was throwing were meant to hurt him, and obviously, they did. There was a big difference in our significant strikes. I think the definition of that needs to be spelled out better, because he didn’t throw that many significant strikes.
Third Time?
Although he said UFC 204 was the last swing of the bat, Henderson’s new-found frustration has led to a change of heart. Continuing his irate statement, ‘Hendo’ says he could easily be talked in to a third fight with ‘The Count.’
I don’t know what type of fight anyone’s ever witnessed or been in, whether it be in a school yard, a professional arena or in a bar, where if one opponent looks like Mike did, if he looks like a guy that got his ass kicked…he probably did get his ass kicked. He’d probably be called by everyone the loser of the fight.
I’m almost positive that in boxing—which is where MMA got its 10 point must system—if one guy knocks the other guy down, it’s considered a 10-8 round. According to boxing rules, where this sport’s rules originated, I would’ve gotten a 10-8 score in two rounds.
The fans—his fans—knew who won that fight. It was very telling that I was in “enemy territory,” and the crowd was chanting my name after the fight. I can’t tell you how many people came up to me afterwards, telling me they felt I won. Hell, even before the fight, I had several Brits telling me they hoped I would win, and they were specific…they hoped I would kick his ass. I feel like I delivered in spades.
“You Can’t Change History”
If this fight had happened last year, and I hadn’t decided to make it my retirement fight, the fans would have demanded a trilogy. Hell, I’m pretty pissed off right now, and for the right money, I’m pretty sure I could be talked into the rubber match, not that I think he would accept another invitation to get beat up again. At the same time, I’m content with what I’ve done and in knowing, if only in my heart, that I won that fight.
The theme of this event was “vengeance,” but Michael Bisping didn’t get that. If anything, he got the exact opposite. He got wrecked, and dropped twice by the same punch he so desperately wanted to eradicate. I said it once, and I’ll say it again—you can’t change history.
![gegard-mousasi-ufc-204-official-weigh-ins[1]](http://cdn.lowkickmma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/gegard-mousasi-ufc-204-official-weigh-ins1.jpg)
