Dan Henderson Signs With Strikeforce
Veteran middleweight contender Dan Henderson, a free agent since his July knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100, has signed a multi-fight contract with UFC-rival Strikeforce, the promotion announced on Monday, confirming an earlier report from Fanhouse.
A date and opponent have not yet been revealed for Henderson’s Strikeforce debut, though he could fight at Strikeforce’s January 30 event in Florida that also features Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Herschel Walker, and Nick Diaz.
Henderson (25-7), a 1992 Olympic wrestler and former PRIDE middleweight and light heavyweight champion, returned to the UFC in 2007, dropping back-to-back bouts to light heavyweight champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and middleweight title-holder Anderson Silva. Henderson would win his next three-straight over Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin, and Bisping and was expected to rematch Silva or fight fellow contender Nate Marquardt in his return to the Octagon, but instead declined the UFC’s contract offers to fight for Strikeforce.
According to UFC President Dana White, Henderson was seeking to be the highest paid fighter in the UFC and the promotion refused to pay him his “obscene” demands.
In early-November, White said Henderson was “1,000 percent” signed by Strikeforce, and though the contract took another month to finalize, Henderson has ultimately spurned the UFC to join its biggest rival.
For the latest Strikeforce news and UFC news stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com.
Tags: Dan Henderson
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Oh well.
This is interesting…………….
no one cares any more. we all saw this coming.
actually I believe that quite a few MMA fans truly “care” about this, and thanks for your two cents….
This is what happens when you make prmises you dont keep.
I wonder how much Dana White’s “now you see it, now you don’t” title shot offers played into this thing…
Well, considering Dan now signed with Strikeforce it doesn’t look like getting another crack at Silva was all that important… he made it impossible.
Not as impossible as Dana made it by publicly disrespecting Hendo by handing his title shot to Vitor Belfort, a man who Hendo had beaten and has never had a 185 UFC fight…
On the contrary….If Hendo beat Marquardt, he had a shot at the belt still. Now’s bailed. That’s much less of a chance.
But why should Hendo have fought Marquardt when he was promised a title shot by Dana White by beating Bisping? And for that matter, why should Marquardt have agreed to a fight with Hendo, when he was promised a title shot by beating Demian Maia?
No amount of “explantion’ing” is going to clear Dana White of fubar’ing this Hendo thing.
Last I checked Joe Silva made the fights with Dana’s final nod. A Hendo-Marquardt fight comes straight out of BlackHouse, and unless Ed Soares is ACTUALLY the UFC matchmaker, then I really would prefer him to shut the fu<k up and let his man Silva fight…
All of that crap about Blackhouse, Dana “swerving” Dan for a title, etc. is academic. Had Dan signed with the UFC, that title shot was still a possibility, immediate or after another fight. Now that he is with another organization there is no possible way that he will ever fight Anderson Silva, without the end of his contract with said other organization and the signing of a new contract with the UFC. What could have been a 6 month or less wait for a shot at Silva has now become a multi-year wait, at the very least, depending on his contract terms.
My point is, with a contract in with the UFC, Dan getting a shot at Silva was infinitely more possible than it is with him fighting for another organization. I know you want to rail on Dana, and go on and on about Dan getting swerved for a title, like you have done every time him going to Strikeforce has come up, but the simple fact is, Dan made the choice to go to Strikeforce, the UFC didn’t cut him, his contract was expired and he chose to sign a contract with a different organization. Therefore, Dan ultimately was the one that denied himself a title shot at Silva. Dana may have postponed it, but depending on the length of his contract with Strikeforce, Dan may very well have made it an impossibility, especially if Silva retires soon like he’s hinted at.
I’ll stop “railing on Dana…going on and on about Dan getting swerved out of his title shot” as soon as it stops being true.
For the record, it should also be noted that I’ve defended Dana White from trolls since the day I started actively contributing to the frenZy.
But calling Dana to account for his actions in this Hendo thing is exactly like calling Rampage Jackson to account for his TUF 10 actions.
Its calling a spade a spade.
And STILL no one has given me a good explantion as to why Hendo should have fought Marquardt, and why he should have trusted his MMA future to a friend that wronged him, and allows Ed Soares to influence the goings-on in the 185 division.
And six months?! “Postponed?
Really?
Why in the world should Hendo wait half a year, which at his age isn’t to his benefit, for something that he’d earned in the cage?
And why exactly did Dana “postpone” the fight?
Because Ed Soares asked him too, thats why. Once that sort of arrangement was made public, I’d be leary of fighting for Dana White if I were Hendo.
Who knows when he could “postpone” the title match again?
Not to mention the trust issue. How the He11 is Hendo supposed to ever trust Dana White again after this thing?
Also, how much of a “choice” did Dana really leave Hendo with, after doing what he did? True, Dana did not actually cut Hendo, but he did behave in such a fashion that made it almost impossible for him, or any self-respecting fighter at his level, to re-sign and go back to work after being publicly dissed by his boss.
I’m sorry if this unsettles some, but this is just one of those inconvenient truths that won’t go away, regardless of how its spun…
Jcohl,
That was non-responsive to my comments.
Not good news for the UFC, and probably not a smart move for Hendo.
I can’t help but think that there is a lot more to this than we’re hearing, so I’ll be sure to stay tuned.
On the upside, Hendo once again has the opportunity, if its offered, to wear gold simultaneously in 2 weightcalsses.
Maybe I’m off the mark, but I don’t see anyone in Strikeforce right now that can beat Hendo at either 185 or 205…
Not a smart move by Hendo? WHAT?
Rumored already is an immediate shot @ Jake Sheilds (April~ish)
it has also been rumored that Mousasi v Hendo could happen in the summer of 2010, after that there is only Fedor right? and no I’m not joking….
Loretta Hunt says this
Edited~ FR702
Apologies, fr702.
My above comment should read, “Not good news for the UFC, and probably a smart move for Hendo”.
My bad, please feel free to edit it if you’re so inclined.
:)
Mousasi has all the opportunity to beat Hendo, I believe a really good chance, Shields probably not, helll he can’t take Hendo down soo hopefully Shields gets bisping’d
Mousasi-Hendo will be burning down the forum by the end of the day…
:P
I love Henderson, but I believe he had his title shot in the UFC and lost to a better fighter. So now he’ll fight for, and probaly win, the Strikeforce belt. He still couldn’t beat Silva, and I don’t think he ever would.
Sometimes, you need to go where the money is…can’t blame the guy…but I really don’t want to hear about how Henderson is better than Silva.
He should be in the UFC, he really could have helped with the recent struggling events. Regardless, I am a hendo fan and want to see him fight, so at least he has a place to go!
rumor is that Hendo was offered a deal with the UFC and an Opportunity to fight on the 109 card as recently as Friday…
yeah the UFC has until July to make a counter offer i believe.
the UFC has the “first right of refusal” and I believe that most likely they took that option….. Remember Strikeforce is not some fly by night org, they have been around for 2 decades and have a bank account too…..
This sucks for both parties.
Mousasi is good
shields is good
but the BEST competition is in the UFC. Considering that hendo is in the last stage of his mma career, he should have ended it in the UFC.
Wish i knew what were some of the deciding factors in hendo’s final decision. One thing’s for sure though…that unkept promise for a title shot had something to do with it.
It could also be hendo demanding more “respect” especially after what he’s done for the ufc. He came and defended both titles back to back, went on TUF, kod bisping. If i were him and i heard anderson silva booking matches and ducking me and all that garbage i would have probably signed with strikeforce too.
The UFC’s contractual right to a counter offer has expired.
I think Dana taking away his title shot made Hendo upset enough to look for other employment opportunities but the deciding factor was money. He knows that he doesn’t have many years left to compete (since not everyone is Randy) he has to make as much money as possible in the next 4-5 years.
What Happens if Hendo goes in and beats shields, Mousasi and Fedor? Does that deligitimise whatever was legit about Strikeforce? Oh this guy can’t get the UFC middle weight and LHW so he goes to the younger promotion and dominates? I mean i think that hendo could beat Anderson and i wish he had that title shot. But on the upside if that does happen and he shuts down the competition in Strikeforce maybe he come back to the UFC along with the other fighters that should be with them exp. Mousasi, Fedor, Shields, Meliendez ect
by younger i ment smaller
good point dude but those who know who henderson is shouldn’t question him,his status or abilities no matter who’s ass he kicks and for what promotion it is for
No, but if he beats Fedor i certainly calls into question Strikeforce’s claim to have the #1 fighter “liek EVAR”.
I would say that Hendo should beat Shields easily, Mousasi with difficulty, and Fedor with great difficulty.
He certainly has the ability, but it seems unlikely that Hendo will go 3 for 3…
I can’t say i blame Hendo for chasing the paper. Its a shame we didnt get to see Hendo/Nate, or Hendo/Anderson II.
He’ll have a chance to beat up Babalu, and a good test for Mousasi.
I wont be surprised if Huerta is next.
I don’t think Hendo will be fighting Huerta.
Yeah, I know what you meant.
Anderson “Ducking him” is hilarious. Why would you duck someone you have already beat convincingly? Just wondering
I don’t think he was ducking him, I just think he was avoiding a re-match as he didn’t want to fight him again. Why conquer lands that have been conquered before kind of attitude.
Dan is my second favourite fighter and I can’t wait to see potential fights with Mousasi and then possibly Fedor. I am happy he has signed and gets the chance to fight in 2-3 more high profile, nationally televised fights before he calls it a career.
I am disappointed in the way Dana White and the UFC handled the Dan Henderson situation. Bottom-line is he was promised a title shot and then it was taken away from him quicker then an overhand right knocks out Michael Bisping! After winning 3 in a row and beating both Franklin and Bisping, that title shot was his. Not to mention he is the only fighter to ever win a round vs The Spider.
Dan’s not getting any younger and the way Silva is dodging fights, he may not to get to fight for the title for another couple years in the UFC. Dan made the decision that was best for him and his career at this stage in his career.
what is ‘spurned’? What’s with all the fancy words? ;)
Kris got a thesaurus as an early Christmas present.
This is all on Dana… how can he not keep Dan after he BLEW out Bisping… One of the best KOs against one of the most hated UFC fighters of all time @ Bispings home field… Dan was next in line for a title fight…and Dana promised it to him…esp after that KO…the fans wanted to see him in that fight…Nate is great, but sometimes boring… I would rather Dan be in the UFC and Nate leave for Strikeforce…with Dan fighting for the title vs silva instead of nate vs vitor for the challenger spot… Remember Dan beat Vitor in recent years… Dana…come on….
Bit late for begging Dana, don’t you think?
The same way Anderson Silva has beaten Dan in recent years? ;)
I still contest that if that title shot with against Silva was such a big deal, Dan would have stuck around, it’s all about the money.
It could also be about something else.
Dan Henderson considered Dana White a personal friend. Dana disrespected Hendo, and pretty publicly, during the whole Marquardt/Hendo/Silva/Soares disaster, and added insult to injury by handing Hendo’s title shot to Vitor Belfort, a guy who has never had a 185 fight in the UFC.
And yeah, if Strikeforce was offering more money, and Hendo didn’t want to continue working for a friend who did him dirty, then why shouldn’t he go?
Hendo KO’D Bisping in Vegas not on his “home feild” of Manchester, England…..
yes Hendo beat Vitor 3 years ago, I believe that most MMA fans can say that Vitor has gotten better recently, but imo Hendo still wins that bout…
Lets not act like any of us have seen either contract offered to Henderson, he decided to sign with Strikeforce, it is HIS decision not to sign with the UFC, so be it…..
hear hear!
Even if he wins the belt in Strikeforce… I put him in the same boat as Fedor now. You can’t claim to be the best if you’re not fighting the best.
Forget the same boat.
By this time next year Hendo and Fedor could be in the same cage…
Joe Rogan via twitter….
Dana White Responds,
Ok, we all know Dana wanted Dan, but obviously he didn’t want him bad enough to pay Dan what he wanted to get paid. That bit is just spin.
i wouldn’t mind watching fedor vs hendo.
I just saw face book pictures of Anderson SIlva and his manager toasting to the news that hendo signed with strikeforce :D
Dan Henderson’s Statement,
@ jazzkok – nice one, bro.
;)
And of course Hendo isn’t going to cry foul or otherwise make a public display. He’s a classy guy, a sportsman, and all the rest.
Dana’s the one who comes out of this thing looking like sh!t, along with Ed Soares.
And its not like Anderson Silva is the shiniest knife in the drawer these days, either…
Jcohl, How is the UFC allowing a fighter to fight their last fight on UFC 100 and winning in spectacular KO, there by completing their contract and becoming a free agent, some how Ed Soares’ fault or Anderson Silva’s, you are talking about statements that Soares made after Hendo was technically a free agent no longer working for the UFC…. The UFC negotiated with Henderson and Henderson turned them down, and they negotiated again and Henderson denied them once more, this was Henderson’s choice to go make what he wanted, which was the same amount he walked with leaving the cage @ UFC 100, ZUFFA denied him that, Strikeforce made him an offer He accepted,,,, how O how is this Anderson Silva’s fault or Ed Soares because honestly Dan Henderson was NOT an employee of ZUFFA when Ed Soares said HE thought that Hendo and Nate should fight for the #1 contender spot, it was sooo hush hush that many didn’t even know that Hendo was a Free~ Agent even almost a month Later…
@ fr702 – if you honestly think that BlackHouse had no influence on this thing between the UFC and Hendo, nothing I can post will change your mind, so I’ll let it lay, and I’ll have to respectfully agree to disagree…
FR,
Anderson silva and ed soares temporary management of the mw division had have played some part in hendos decision. So did dana’s false title shot promise.
I understand your point though. It isn’t their fault alone or their doing that hendo left the ufc, but they certainly played a role. If you ask me they are still f***n with the state of the mw division and dana isn’t doing anything about it.
Yes somehow Hendo signing with Strikeforce and Dana not giving him the finances that he is asking for is soooo Anderson Silva’s fault….
/sarcasm
:P
More Dan Henderson,
Now remember in September Hendo was still a “free~agent”
So there you have some more info on the situation Guys, enjoy
At this point I’m thinking that this is as much about respect, or disrespect according to your POV, as it was about money.
Remember, Hendo isn’t just a fighter, he’s an Olympian, and probably didn’t dig the way things went down.
Nonetheless, whats done is done, and now I’m just waiting to hear who Hendo’s first Strikeforce opponent will be…
*had to have played
There are a few good matchups for Henderson besides Mousasi . I’d like Diaz vs Hendo , lawler vs Hendo …. maybe cung — although henderson’s ground game would be a huge plus for him in that one .
But I get giggles thinking about Henderson – Mousasi . Its the best test for gegard outside the UFC right now and a top 10 LHW fight not in the UFC .If he beats Dan then his stock goes through the roof and he starts to get some of these guys who are sick of waiting around for gold .
Diaz vs Hendo? Diaz hasn’t fought anyone to merit a fight with Hendo. What exactly are you on? I bet Diaz wants some of that…
anyone wanna bet Mousasi and Shields will be in the UFC in the next year or so?? Shields is already fighting to get there and fight GSP….
and dont get me wrong, Strikeforce is defiantly no joke, good competition, good fighters and an overall good company ….. but these guys are fighting to GET TO THE UFC, they WANT to be in the big show fighting the best in the world, and realistically …. (pause) ….. thats in the UFC
again this is all just IMO but the UFC is where MMA hit big … so as ive read on here before and kinda agree with … UFC is like the NBA, NFL, NHL where as Strikeforce is more NCAA, minor leagues (dont take offence, not calling them bad, just not at THAT point yet) in hope one day they will make it to the big show where almost EVERYONE is watching them, and will know there names
so i guess my main point is ..its not like these big names (Mousasi, Shields …. and hell why not throw fedor in there .. hes gonna run out of ppl soon to) are even gonna be there for long TO fight him …
If Strikeforce can play its cards right (which so far they are doing), UFC guys will be leaving to go to Stikeforce too. It goes both ways.
It’s just another place for fighters to work, get national exposure, and make a living. It’s win, win, win.
I have a lot of respect for Strikeforce.
No, they aren’t the UFC, but then again they aren’t trying to be. They’re just trying to be the strongest MMA promotion they can be, and let the chips fall where they may on the rest.
For the most part they do business the right way, and provide an solid product for the price.
Also, IMO the more viable MMA promotions there are, the better it is for the sport.
And while Scott Coker might not be trying to DIRECTLY compete with the UFC, he is probably trying to “go national”, with his CBS deal, Fedor signing, working with other promotions, etc.
Signing Hendo goes a long way towards getting them the attention and casual fan notice and respect they’re lacking outside of the North Cali area.
And a lot of heads will turn and eyes will pop if and when Hendo gekks Shields at 185, and then calls out Mousasi at 205 while strapping on the 185 title…
This is tremendous. The more big names that Strikeforce can add (and saty in business) the better. Aside from Herschel Walker, who we haven’t yet seen fight, it seems Strikeforce is going for legit fighters and not past their prime novelties. They aren’t itching to get names that WERE relevant like Arlovski, Sylvia, and Monson…they’re trying to get names that ARE relevant.
Competition makes everything better, so this will benefit everyone on this forum because we’re all fans who now get to see Hendo fight some great up and comers and truly be a gate-keeper to guys trying to be ELITE fighters.
mousasi it’ll have to be… spider recuperating anyway.
i’d favor spider against hendo in rematch 60-40.
yet,
hendo could beat fedor
spider couldnt beat fedor
All the contract stuff aside, I was sad to see him go, however…..Hendo Vrs. Mousasi will be sick!!! I would have much rather seen Mousasi come to the UFC to see how good he really is, Im excited to see it either way…..I give the ege to Hendo, but Mous is no joke!
1. Jake Shields (24-4)
2. “Jacare” Souza (10-2)
3. Matt Lindland (21-6)
4. Tim Kennedy (11-2)
5. Mayhem Miller (22-7)
6. Melvin Manhoef (23-6)
7. Robbie Lawler (18-5)
8. Cung Le (6-0)
9. Luke Rockhold (6-1)
10. Scott Smith (16-6)
11.Frank Shamrock (23-10)
12. Dan Henderson (25-7)
It is looking to be a strong division at strikeforce, nice records, some really talented fighters, there are a few good match-up I’d love to see.
Yeah but all these guys are not Dan / Anderson / Nate Marquardt level… unfortunately I believe that Dan has taken the easier… possibly higher paying road OH WELL
Dan is in strikeforce and if he gets beat then obiously other guys “besides” him are also dan/silva/nate level. have the top 5 in each org square off I think strikeforce could take 2 out of five now and one could make an agruement that they might win 3 out of five on a puncher chance.
If I remember correctly, Dan prefers to fight at 205. I think I heard him say in an interview he is not all that excited about the weight cut (for 185) at this point in his career. For this reason, I think we will see Hendo vs Gegard before we see him fight Sheilds.
I have absolutely no problems with Dan signing with Strikeforce. I had zero interest in a re-match with the Spider since, IMO, Dan didn’t come close in the first fight. Re-matches are only interesting when the first fight was a barn-burner and resulting in a close decision, or what is deemed to be a lucky knock out.
Plus, if Dana truly didn’t know that Dan had already fought and beat Belfort, that is just sad.
I heard that same interview as well, and with Hendo pushing 40, I have to believe that making that cut isn’t as easy or as much fun as it was in the past.
I’m not sure how quickly Scott Coker will want to throw his goldenboy Mousasi in with Hendo, though. I would think that they would wait a bit to build that fight up, and let Hendo do his thing with Shields at 185.
Unless I’m very wrong, an ongoing Strikeforce “storyline” for 2010 will be Hendo trying to score double gold at 185 and 205.
Again…
;)
This is a real shame and waste of talent in my opinion, Strikeforce is a good quality championship but it’s got nothing on the UFC.
You’ve gotta ask though why does Henderson believe he’s deserving of being the highest paid fighter in the UFC? He’s got nothing on people like GSP in terms of technique and the ability to win from any position.
Being a Brit I was obviously gutted at him knocking out Bisping, and I think this show’s he’s still got it despite being almost fourty, so I’ll be interested to see how he gets on in Strikeforce.
It’s sad that HENDO decided to leave the UFC. He was fighting top fighters and now he’s going to be on sideshows with Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, Herschel Walker.
side show haha nice, clearly you must not like MMA, Strikeforce puts on a hell of a card, look at Evolution on DEC 19th
Josh Thomson v Gilbert Melendez (LW championship)
Cung Le v Scott Smith
Matt Lindland v Jacare
King Mo v Mike Whitehead
Robbie Lawler v Trevor Prangley
Scott Lighty v Antwain Britt
Bryan Travers v Daisuke Nakamura
Luis Mendoza v Juan Nunez
Alex Trevino v Bobby Stack
Alex Crispim v AJ Fonseca
side shows thats awesome…. O and not that I like the signing of Walker or anything, but he is a 5th degree TKD blackbelt so that stands for something I guess, and Cristiane can fight Aug 15th was a great night for MMA plus after Affliction MMA folded Strikeforce brought the “hardcore” fans the fight that they truly wanted to see Babalu v Mousasi…. ehhhh I’m going to stop its clear some people just like to hate to hate, I enjoy MMA, not a singular brand or whatever I enjoy the sport, so if you don’t care for Strikeforce so be it, I will be there or I will be tuning in, just like with DREAM, WEC, UFC amongst others….
How dare you bash the Guyborg. I challenge you to a duel.