After week’s of speculation and rumour, UFC President Dana White finally announced that the UFC middleweight champion, Michael Bisping (29-7), will be making his first defence against old foe Dan Henderson (32-14) and there is a good chance it could take place in Manchester, England.
No date was mentioned but on the FS1 post fight show for UFC 200 he did say there was a possibility of the fight taking place in Bisping’s home town.
“We’re going to do Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping,” said White. “It’s a fight that the champ wants. It’s a fight that the fans want. We’re thinking about doing it in Manchester, England. But that’s not signed yet.”
Michael Bisping first fought Dan Henderson seven years ago as part of the UFC 100 main card. Things didn’t go well for Bisping that night as Henderson landed the ‘H-Bomb’ that would come to haunt the current UFC middleweight champion for years. It’s probably been the most replayed knockout in UFC history and Henderson even went as far as using the flying punch as a trademarked logo of his brand.
Since the news broke UFC fighters Chris Weidman and Jacare Souza have taken to social media to vent their disappointment in this matchmaking. While it’s easy to sympathize with these top five middleweights it’s also easy to see why the promotion would put this fight together. There is an in built story here, a rivalry which goes back many years and with Henderson a solid fan favorite it’s a fight that can sell.
