Exploring the Main Event, UFC 204

               

                  It’s been over seven years since Hendo Knocked Out The Count at UFC 100 and much has changed. Michael Bisping now Thirty-seven, has gone 12-5 (5KO/TKO) against the UFC’s Middleweight Division’s top talent, since. Following UFC 100, Dan Henderson signed with Strikeforce where he went on to defeat Rafael Cavalcante by a third round (:50) TKO to become the Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight Champion at Strikeforce 32 (3/5/11).

Being at the right place

               

Michael Bisping may not have been a logical opponent for former MW Champ, Luke Rockhold at UFC 199. Rockhold had submitted (2^nd Round :57 Guillotine) Bisping at UFC Fight Night 55 (11/7/14). Bisping was confident he could do better, he bragged of a sparring session with Rockhold, when Luke was the Strikeforce MW champ, Bisping claims to have bludgeoned  Rockhold. When injury forced Chris Weidman to pull out of his UFC 199 rematch with Rockhold not many contenders were available. Bisping was riding a four fight win streak when he seized the opportunity, on just seventeen days’ notice.

               

The Forty-six year old, Henderson has gone 7-7 since his second round (3:20) KO of Bisping in 2009. Dan still holds dynamite in his hands, six of those seven, post UFC 100, wins have come by KO/TKO. Including Hendo’s impressive second round (1:27) KO of Hector Lombard last time. This fight proceeded the Bisping Rockhold fight at UFC 199, so the timing for a rematch was there. The number thirteen ranked MW, Henderson has stated that he plans to retire following the fight win, lose or draw.

Legend Status

While Bisping and Henderson may not see eye to eye, the two are on similar footing when it comes to MMA legend status. Bisping is The Ultimate Fighter Season 3 LHW winner. He was the first British fighter to both: headline a UFC card (UFC 78) and win a title (UFC 199). He is currently tied with George St Pierre for most wins in UFC history at nineteen. Former Cage Rage LHW champ.

Henderson is currently the oldest fighter on the UFC roster and his history goes all the way back to UFC 17 when he defeated both Allan Goes and Carlos Newton to win the 199lb max tournament. In 2005 at Pride Bushido 9 Hendo KO’d both Ryo Chonan and Akihiro Gono in the opening rounds of an eight man tournament that concluded at Pride Shockwave 2005, when he earned a Split Decision win over Murilo Bustamante to become the Pride Welterweight champ (183lbs). At Pride 33 in Las Vegas (2/24/07) in a rematch with Wanderlei Silva, Henderson scored a third round KO to become the MW champ (205lbs). This gave Henderson the distinction of being the first fighter to hold two belts, in different weight classes simultaneously in a major promotion.

Prior to winning the belt, Michael Bisping defeated, who many call the greatest MW of all time, Anderson Silva by decision in February (2/27/16). The Count is 30-7 in his career with twenty-one stoppages (18 KO/TKO). He made his UFC MW debut with a first round TKO win over Charles McCarthy at UFC 83 (4/19/08) and has gone 15-6 in the division since. His opening round KO of Rockhold is considered the biggest upset in UFC title history. The UK’s biggest MMA star now lives and trains in California.

The #13 ranked MW, Dan Henderson is 32-14 with 16 wins by KO/TKO. Hendo is no stranger to hostile crowds, 3/23/14 in Brazil at UFC Fight Night 38 he scored a third round TKO of tough Brazilian fighter, Mauricio Shogun Rua. Henderson hopes to add the MW UFC gold to his athletic achievements, a list that includes representing the US in the 92 and 96 Summer Olympics in Wrestling, in addition to being the last Strikeforce MW champ and the last Pride WW and MW Champion.