Issue 146
October 2016
Will Michael Bisping avenge his most devastating loss, or can Dan Henderson capture UFC gold to bring the curtain down on his career?
What a year Michael Bisping is having. Just when it looked like his MMA days were drawing to a close, he gets a headline bout against Anderson Silva in London and has the best fight of his career to put himself in the frame for a title shot. When the call comes, he demolishes Luke Rockhold to becomes the UK’s first UFC champion.
All that’s left is to cap 2016 with his first defense. But against who? How about a rematch with the man who’s handed him his most humiliating defeat and a KO that’s haunted him for seven years?
Bisping vs. Dan Henderson 2 may not be the fight the 185lb division needs. But it’s the fight the new champion deserves. With ‘Hendo’s pledge to retire – win or lose – after this bout, it’s now or never for ‘The Count’ to banish the memory of his humiliating defeat.
This issue’s trio of MMA experts decides whether he can avenge that loss or the 46-year-old is right to warn: “Be careful what you ask for.”
Roan Corneiro
UFC middleweight and ATT BJJ coach
You have to hand the advantage over to Bisping now for this fight. He is much more well-rounded than he was before – for their first fight.
I believe this fight will be totally different than the first. Bisping will keep hold of the belt he worked so hard to win. I don’t predict any fairy-tale end to Henderson’s career.
Bisping is very good at defending the takedown, so that neutralizes Henderson’s wrestling game, really. But we know what this fight is going to be – Bisping circling and moving and Henderson looking to do what he did before and land the big overhand. But Bisping knows this more than anybody.
This is not a fight that’s going to be going to the ground. It’s not going to be like a jiu-jitsu match. It’s going to be played out on the feet for five rounds, and that’s how Bisping is going to win and keep his title.
His conditioning and his cardio are on another level to Henderson’s and I don’t think he will be able to keep up with the pace Bisping is setting. That’s the key point in this fight.
If Bisping turns up in the kind of shape he’s been in recently then Henderson is going to have a long night ahead of him. Bisping will be smart. He won’t take chances.
Ross Pearson
Coached by Michael Bisping for his TUF 9-winning campaign
Now Mike’s the champion he’s got that belief. It’s a completely different fight to when he fought at UFC 100 against Dan Henderson.
I don’t think Mike will knock Dan out, but I think he will outwork him, get behind his jab, correct all the wrongs from his first fight, outgrind him and outpace him. Kind of like the old-school Bisping-Denis Kang fight – about movement, picking up points, using his kicks, working his takedowns and just bullying him.
There’s no way Mike is just going to stand in the pocket with him and throw. He has to use his speed, size and transitioning. I don’t think Dan Henderson transitions too well any more from his striking to his wrestling, from his wrestling to his ground ‘n’ pound. That’s an area where Mike has to take advantage. That’s what’s going to get Dan tired. In a five-round fight, the longer it goes on, the better it is for Mike.
Bisping is technically the better fighter now, but I would never count Dan Henderson out of a fight – ever. The guy is a legend and has the ability to knock anyone out. Look what he did to Hector Lombard in his last fight. Everyone was expecting Lombard to blow him out of the water. (The H-bomb) is definitely something Mike’s got to be concerned about and training for.
Mike does really well with home-crowd advantage. He thrives on knowing he’s the hometown hero. He performed some of his best fights in England. It’s a massive advantage, but I don’t think it bothers Dan Henderson.
Tim Boetsch
UFC veteran and former Henderson KO victim
With that big right hand, Dan Henderson is a bad matchup for anybody – and I can speak from experience. I like this fight. It’s going to be a fun one to watch. I would like to see Dan get another big knockout. That would be a lot of fun. That would secure that elusive UFC belt for him, too.
I am glad they made the fight happen and it’s great to see Dan involved in a world-title fight before he retires. The sport is leaning toward the entertainment factor, with pro wrestlers coming in and getting huge paydays. It’s all a matter of what fights people want to see. Dan may not be the next in line for a title shot according to the rankings, but it’s a fight everyone wants to see.
The time is now for him. There has to be an expiration date on the guy – I would think. Maybe not. I am a true believer that in fighting, with maybe Demetrious Johnson as an exception, anything can happen in there. Everyone is one punch away from losing a fight at all times. When belts change hands so quickly it’s no surprise to me. That’s how the sport is.
It’s much more rare these days to have standout champions with these incredible winning streaks that hang on the belts for a long time. And for that reason, I’m going with Dan to become UFC champ at the final time of asking.
Back in the UK
Been there, done that
Unlike the champ, Henderson has fought for a UFC title on UK soil. He challenged Quinton Jackson for the 205lb title at UFC 75 in September 2007, but lost to ‘Rampage’.
