Issue 051
June 2009
Dan Henderson could have been plucked from a John Wayne movie and dropped right into the Octagon. Indefatigable, tough as old boots, an outdoorsman who hunts, rides horses, and likes nothing more than to chill out with a beer on his ranch. He’s also one of the hardest men to ever step into a ring or cage. Meet the man who is a living example of the word "tough".
Dan Henderson doesn’t remember his first wrestling match. He was five years old at the time, and the memory of that day has faded away after 33 years of competition. A former Greco-Roman wrestler who competed at the highest level (including two trips to the Olympics, his first at only 21 years of age), Henderson made his MMA debut back in 1997.
Initially, Henderson’s motive for fighting was purely financial. As a wrestler he received only modest funding, so the prize money on offer in a Brazilian vale tudo event was very attractive to the amateur athlete. In the 12 years since first stepping into a cage, Henderson has fought internationally and captured the attention of fans around the world.
Known for his granite chin, heavy right hand, fearsome clinch game and willingness to fight anyone, Henderson’s latest gig was as high profile as they come. By defeating Rich Franklin at UFC 93, ‘Hendo’ won a spot as a coach on the ninth series of The Ultimate Fighter [TUF]. With Henderson’s arrival, a new twist was unveiled in that the two teams would be comprised of fighters representing the UK and USA.
It couldn’t have been more perfect for Henderson, who wasn’t only eager to be on the show but was built for the role. “I was keen, I wanted to do it,” he said, adding “I was excited about the opportunity, especially as it was USA versus the UK. I was excited from day one.”
Whereas some fighters struggle with the responsibility of looking after another fighter’s interests, there was no such problem for Dan. He’s the top dog at Team Quest in California, a gym packed with talented fighters such as Krzysztof Soszynski and Thierry Sokoudjou.
“I have an active role here [at Team Quest],” he said. “We’ve got a lot of talent in our room. Overall I’m pretty much the guy that says what we do. When I’m not there, my guys want me there as a training partner and as a coach. We’ve got a good group of guys and we get on pretty well. If guys have an attitude or an ego, they don’t last long.”
Henderson’s policy of 'no ego in the gym' meant that he was confronted with a problem very early on in the show, namely the appearance of Junie Browning’s younger brother, Robert. Lucky for Dan, and anyone who had to share a house with the Kentuckian tearaway, Browning didn’t get past the elimination stage. “I was pretty glad,” said Dan. “I really did not want him on the show, especially if he was going to be a retard like his brother. I want guys who want to be there to be a fighter, not to be a movie star.”
But how did he deal with the pressure of going up against rival coach Michael Bisping (who Henderson will face at UFC 100) and his team of British brawlers? “There was pressure, but I think most of the pressure is on the guys,” he said. “I wasn’t the one out there competing. I didn’t have any control over what went on in the ring, but I was happy with how everything went.” But what kind of coach was Henderson? Was he the hard-ass taskmaster who screams and shouts at his students, or was he the laid-back coach who’ll let the guys come to him when they’re ready? “I guess a little bit of both. I’m not going to force a guy to do it if he doesn’t want to do it. If a guy wants to train I’ll be there all day for him.”
Could coaching be something that Henderson might consider going into when he retires from active competition? “I don’t know if I will assume a head coaching role, it’s very time-consuming. Maybe not for a while, I might take it easy [once I retire] but when my kids get a little older I might.”
As is the case for most high-profile fighters, time is not something Henderson has a lot of. He spends most of his time traveling, either to corner for one of his Team Quest comrades or for promotional work for the UFC. The last few months have been extremely busy for him and meant he spent little time with his growing family. A husband and father of three, Henderson spent Christmas training hard for his January fight with Rich Franklin in Dublin, and almost immediately after, returning to the USA he went to Las Vegas for the filming of TUF 9.
Apart from the downside of spending so much time away from his family, the first thing to take a hit when he’s away from home is his training. “It’s tough to train when I’m supposed to be [at] a lot of different places,” he told us. “I’m training hard when I’m home… I’ve just been traveling a lot.” A lot would be an understatement. “I’m OK with it, it’s tough on the kids being gone so much,” he says with a verbal shrug. With the sounds of a baby girl echoing in the house, he tells me, “I’m on dad duty today. I’ve got the three kids, my wife’s gone for a couple of days.”
Spending time with his family on his ranch in the high desert is where you’ll find Henderson between fights. In the last ten years, Henderson fought in Japan no less than 21 times. A champion in both the Pride and Rings promotions, he was a massive draw and one of the most entertaining fighters on Pride’s roster.
While fighting for Pride, he faced off with a veritable who’s who of MMA legends. Bouncing between middle to light heavyweight (and never shy of taking on the odd heavyweight), Henderson fought Wanderlei Silva (twice), Minotauro, Renzo Gracie, Ninja Rua, Ricardo Arona, Murillo Bustamante (twice), Ryo Chonan (who would later join him at Team Quest), Vitor Belfort and Yuki Kondo.
It was this ‘fight anyone’ attitude that led to Henderson gaining a reputation as one of the toughest fighters in MMA. Never shy of a toe-to-toe slugfest, he cemented his position as one of the top fighters in the sport by being the first man to consecutively hold titles in two separate weight classes (Pride’s 183lb and 205lb titles belonged to him).
Now, 12 years and 31 fights down the line, I wanted to know whether Dan Henderson still get nervous before a fight? “Not really, more on the excited side – to go out there and beat somebody up.”
Henderson’s laid-back demeanor is in stark contrast with his in-ring persona. A bruiser who roughs up his opponents by “trying to hit them as hard as I can”, he is a true fighter and finds it hard to imagine himself doing anything else. “I’ve never really had a real job. I was supposed to go to chiropractic school, but…” It seems pretty clear that Henderson was made for this life. Unlike some fighters in the early days of the sport, he never had a problem with people thinking that fighting in cages was distasteful. “It wasn’t bad, just something a bit different. I think I knew that the sport was going to be huge, eventually. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be fighting at that point but I knew that it would be pretty big.”
As the sport continues to grow Henderson receives more and more exposure via headlining events and his coaching slot on TUF. There are waves of young fighters coming up through the ranks, but when he’s got young, hungry guys coming after him such as his next opponent Michael Bisping, does he ever think, “Man, I’m too old for this”? “Occasionally training will make me think that. But the fights? No. It’s quite the opposite. I rise to the challenge and the older I get the bigger the challenge. I love the challenge of the sport.”
Henderson’s immediate challenge is a showdown with Bisping on UFC 100, but he jokingly says that he’ll find motormouth Bisping’s pre-fight speeches tougher to deal with than what he might offer in the Octagon. All kidding aside, Henderson respects Bisping as an opponent and as a person. Forget any Tito and Ken-style theatrics; their relationship on TUF was one built on mutual respect. “I didn’t spend all that much time with him. He’s an alright guy, he just likes to hear himself talk.”
At 38 years of age, Henderson has already had a long and storied career. By becoming the first fighter to hold titles in two weight classes he has already cemented his place in the history books. He’s had two title shots in his time with the UFC, dropping a close decision to then-205lb champ Rampage and losing by submission to middleweight king Anderson Silva.
While Anderson Silva dances his way through his title defenses and the light-heavyweight title goes from one fighter to the next, Henderson will bide his time and wait for his shot. He and Bisping are already high in the 185lb ranks, and whoever wins in July will likely be put forward for title contention.
Though he seems like he’s all about the challenge of fighting, don’t forget that Henderson is a fierce competitor for a reason. As much as he enjoys the experience, he’s a driven athlete who harbors a deep desire to get his hands on UFC gold. “I would like to have a shot at both those belts again, and I wouldn’t plan on losing this time. That’s definitely the goal.”
Did you know?
Henderson the hunter
Like fellow fighters Matt Hughes, Tim Sylvia and Brock Lesnar, one of Henderson’s favorite pastimes is hunting. “I really like to hunt, mostly elk, deer, bear – turkey hunting a little bit. I prefer to go bow-hunting, archery. I will go with my rifle, but I prefer it with the bow. I mostly go to Mexico and Colorado. I go hunting about three or four times a year, I’d like to go a little bit more but I just don’t have the time right now.”
Quick hits with Hendo
What’s the hardest you’ve ever hit someone?
I don’t know, I try to hit everyone as hard as I can.
What’s the toughest fight you’ve ever been in?
Wanderlei Silva, the first time I fought him. I was kind of out of shape, and it was two 10-minute rounds.
Describe your fighting style in five words or less.
Aggressive and well-rounded.
What fighter do you enjoy watching most?
There are a ton of guys out there who are exciting and entertaining. There are a few guys who aren’t so entertaining. I prefer guys who try to finish fights, unlike the last Anderson Silva fight.
What do you like to do in your downtime?
A ton of stuff outside. Taking care of five acres. We have five horses, actually four horses, and a three-week-old baby.
Cold beer on the porch or a cigar in the den?
No cigars. I like a cold beer out around the pool and hanging out.
Have you ever Googled yourself?
No, I haven’t actually. I’ve opened my computer probably four times since my fight in Dublin [in January]. My phone gets my emails and text messages. I’m just too busy to go on the internet.
