UFC 82: Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva
Posted by Kris Karkoski on Nov 18, 2007 at 10:49 am ET69 Comments
At the post-UFC 78 press conference it was announced that Dan Henderson will return to the octagon in March to take on middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 82 in Columbus, Ohio.
For more UFC 82 check out the MMAFrenzy.com UFC rumors section.
Tags: Anderson Silva, Dan Henderson
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it was bound to happen
Thats great news for the much in need middleweight division, but I still would have liked to see him stay at 205 just a little while longer.
I don’t think this will be his long-term weight class unless he beats Silva and wins the title. Agreeing to move down for at least this fight gave him a bigger payday and another title fight though I think he will go back to 205 soon enough.
This is the last fight on hos current contract, so I’m supprised Dana scheduled this. Unless they agreed to a new contract and I didn’t know it.???
Finally a real threat to Andersons belt now people will have to wonder if Anderson is really for real, Henderson can win this fight if any one can he can do it and dude can take a couple of punches also.
holy_dave – Nothing has been confirmed publicly about a new contract but this fight wouldn’t be happening unless he agreed to one.
[...] i na temat: potwierdzone na konferencji po UFC 78. Mistrz Pride i Mistrz UFC w szlagierze wiosny na UFC [...]
this will be the last 185′er title fight that matters for awhile but really its not worth me paying 40 or 50 bucks for. most likely will be a ground fight and i dont even think silva can save this fight from being a snoozer.
this will be silva’s first test in the ufc unless you want to count franklin. henderson should be a much better fighter back down at 185 but he doesnt even want to fight in that worthless class. ufc needs a 225-230 class and that would be a great division for smaller heavys like crocop and light heavys that want to fight at a higher weight like chuck. that division would be alot more popular then the 185′ers anyway.
This is fantastic, and I disagree with you mike. I think this will be a barn burner. I really don’t think Silva can match Hendo’s power, and Hendo can definately withstand a beating. I can’t wait for this one. I also agree with you Kris, and am sure the UFC offerd Henderson a pretty penny to drop to 185. A good move for both the UFC and Hendo. I think Henderson can win this one by ground and pound. He should also work on his leg submissions. Anderson has little chicken legs that Dan could snap like a twig. I think if Hendo beats Silva, he should be able to change his name from “Hollywood” back to “Dangerous” Dan.
Lets be honest with ourselves. Silva has cleaned out a pretty weak Middleweight Division, and the only two fights worthwhile would have been Silva – Filho or Silva – Henderson. I was afraid the UFC was going to make the mistake of putting Silva and Okami together again since Silva lost via disqualification due to a kick to the head. But anyone who saw that fight saw Silva dominate the whole fight, and then out of instinct kicked him in the head. So, I am excited to see what Henderson can do against Silva who at this point seems pretty unstoppable in this division.
I also think this is a much better weight class for Henderson despite his victory over Wanderlei, Vitor, Ninja, and Babalu. The Quinton Jackson fight showed he is just too small to fight guys with a decent ground game on a consistent basis. Love Henderson. Glad he is fighting at Middleweight. Should be a great fight.
To watch the Silva/Okami DQ fight, follow this link;
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Csq3fIlfK-Y
I’m ecstatic about this fight. I’ll be attending the event in Columbus and will gladly cheer on Silva. At UFC 68, Silva was in attendance and the crowd boo’d him when he was on the big screen (I think only myself and 10 others in attendance applauded for him). I am 99% that Dana and Hendo have worked out another contract as there is no way in hell Dana lets his champ get defeated by someone who can walk away with the unified Pride/UFC MW Title. I’ll be most interested to see who does better in the clinch which has been a very strong part of both the fighter’s game. I definitely am looking forward to this fight more than any other announced to date.
UFC 83 prediction – Jackson vs Griffin
Mike, I’ve had the same thoughts about bridging that gap between LHW and HW. There’s just too much weight in between there. Only problem is, there’s just not enough talent to make each legit. Each division would be thinner than the Middleweights.
I agree that Dan Henderson will continue his career at 205 unless he wins the belt from Anderson. This is a great move for him though. He probably settled in nicely to a new contract and raise. Hopefully this will allow some time to develop the UFC’s weakest link.
I knew this fight would happen eventually.. I’m not ready to give up on Anderson though I think skill wise he’s better than Dan. With Dan’s recent show of heavy hands (minus the Rampage fight) you never know what might happen.
silva has gotta start as favourite for this fight.whilst its true that silva hasnt truly been tested in a weak division yet its also true that he has looked really good against franklin who is a class fighter twice.should be good to see him get a true test which henderson will bring i still think silva will have enough to win but will be close.
Nice.
Heard about this fight for a while, great to see it actually going down.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Henderson>Silva
I THINK ANDERSON WILL DESTROY HIM THEY NEED TO PUT KARO PARYISIAN UP AGAINST SILVA THAT WOULD B AWSOME
OR THEY SHOULD PUT RYO CHONAN CAUSE HE ALREADY BEAT ANDERSON SILVA
WOW!!! I didn’t think it was ever gonna happen, especially since Henderson insisted that he was a Light Heavyweight fighter and didn’t want to cut weight. This is great news!!!
Maybe Karo and Ryo could put Anderson to sleep like they did to the rest of us Saturday night.
Must be henderson’s big name that has people thinking he has a chance (Not trying to knock Dan as a fighter because he’s damn good) The simple fact is that he doesn’t match up well against anderson. The striking.. The BJJ.. The Muay Thai.. The only thing Dan has in his corner is his superior wrestling skills, which I believe andersons black belt in BJJ will be able to counter. that is if he doesn’t break his nose and knock him out quickly like he did Rich twice.
Call me crazy but i believe BJ Penn has the best chance at beating anderson.
Sean… you are crazy!
There is no one in the current MW division that could beat Silva, and only a couple of Fighters could come down from LHW (Bisping, Evans & Hendo) Silva is a good match for Hendo cos he’s a top level wrestler… and don’t forget Hendo has already Knocked out the bigger King of the Chute Box Academy (Wanderlei Silva)Hendo will win the Belt – then head back to LHW and kick Tito’s Ass!!
This is a great test for Silva, but Hendo is changing weight classes and that may be the biggest factor. Silva already is the best in the UFC in this class. Hendo’s status (despite the Pride belt) hasn’t proved himself in UFC. I go with Silva all the way here.
First off, I don’t think that Bisbing, or Evans could win (let alone survive) a match with Silva. Secound, Henerson started his career in the UFC (maybe not started, but fought in the UFC early in his career, so he has octagon experience) The weight cut shouldn’t effect him that much. Wrestlers are infamous for their ability to cut weight, so that will not be an issue. I don’t think it was a matter of him not wanting to cut weight, but a matter of competition at the higher weight class that attracted Hendo to the light heavyweight division. But as they say, money talks, and Hendo didn’t walk (away from it) Hendo will win this one by ground and pound.
Evans would have trouble cutting to 185, so don’t look for that anytime soon.
I don’t quite know what it is about the Octagon, but it seems almost to be a home advantage to those with cage experience. Silva came into his own in the Octagon and until someone proves otherwise, I will predict Anderson to win. I am a fan of Henderson, but I think Silva is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today.
With the lack of prospects in the MW div right now i’d like to see anderson test the waters at LHW.
silva vs jackson, that would put asses in the seats
Jackson would break Anderson Silva in two pieces and stick the piece that doesn’t contain his ass up the piece that does.
Mr.Ree, You are my new hero (sorry Couture, this guys friggin FUNNY!)
That was funny but the crazy.. Rampage looks bigger (which he is) but name one aspect of MMA he is better than anderson at?
He’s a better Wrestler with awesome slams and he most probably hits harder cos he’s got a much bigger frame… Anderson Silva is very good – but right now he looks better than he is cos there’s no real competition for him in the weak MW division – Surely no one would take Rich Franklin over Dan Henderson!!!
Dan do you fight? box? or wrestle? or even been in a bar fight… If so then you’d know looks can be deceiving. Just because someone looks or even is bigger means nothing. Awesome slams don’t win fights they just get the crowd hype.. LOL
Sean… Awsome Slams don’t win fights….??? Tell Ricardo Arona that!! I take it you are not all that familar with Jacksons Days in Pride FC… Also, I hear what you are saying about looks being deceiving but I would be very surprised if Anderson Silva has more power that the LHW Champ.
I agree with you there.. I believe rampage is more powerful.. And i do remeber his pride days, I also remember him getting his but handed to him twice by the axe murderer. In pride he was just a contender, the UFC is the best thing to happen to rampage. I personally belive his power well surpasses anderson’s but anderson is better technically in every aspect of the game and is a better and WAY more pinpoint striker. He doesn’t through those terrible looping punches that most MMA fighter throw. You make great points though Dan.
I love how a thread about arguably the biggest Middleweight fight in UFC history has digressed into a fight that will most likely never happen. That being said, Anderson > Jackson.
Once I again i repeat.. VAMP IS THE MAN!!
Yeah!! Never mind Jackson vs…etc…got a bit side tracked!! I’m looking forward to Hendo vs Silva… that will be a great Fight! Good banter Chaps!!
Yes it should be an interesting fight.. can’t wait to see it. Whats up with anderson fighting in Ohio again though?
Sean, Dana saw me clapping at UFC 68 when they showed Silva in the crowd on the big screen during Franklin’s fight. He must be doing it as a favor to me when I go back in March. ;^)
I was wondering if we ever going to see this fight. So much was made around the lightheavyweight unification that people forgot he was also the other middleweight champion. Since fedor ducked randy and gomi ducked sherk this will in all likelyhood be the final ufc/pride unification match. May the best man win
This is the best possible fight in the world of MMA right now. You have a guy with an aura of invincibility (Silva) squaring off with a guy who has all the tools to give him the best possible test. If Silva wins he is hands down the best fighter on the planet. He will have just beaten the Pride 183 and 205 champ, shortly after for all intents and purposes retiring the previous dominant champ. If Hendo wins then I take that back about Franklin being retired because I think he would actually have a shot against Henderson, much much more so than vs. Silva. If you’ve ever seen Silva spar with Heavyweights like Nogeira, you know he won’t be intimidated by whatever size or strength difference Hendo may be perceived to have. Anderson and his “chicken legs” have just come off of tossing Franklin (a huge 185, bigger than Hendo) around like he was Steven Hawkings. Yes, Henderson will get his takedowns, but he won’t submit Silva or pound him out. It’s more likely he’ll get submitted from Silva’s guard. Silva’s ground game is underrated because he’s insane on his feet. He’s got far superior submissions to Henderson and his ground defense is impeccable. Also, I don’t think Henderson will knock him out. He does have the power, and has a better shot than Franklin (who’s more of an accumulation of strikes fighter– unless your name is Quarry) at doing so. Hendo will eat some strikes from positions and angles he has never seen, not from Rampage or Wandy or anyone else. He will have trouble finding range against Silva. He will take him down more than once, but they will get stood up. Silva’s incredible striking ability will prevail. But make no mistake, it will be the toughest match of his career, and if anyone could take down this phenomenal talent at the peak of his power it would be Dan Henderson.
Great analysis James,
I’m thinking Hendo may take this one. It is the only belt that’s really available for him. He’s a guy who really likes belts. I say Henderson finds a way to win.
Franklin will be in attendance and despite all the nice things he says about Silva, he’ll be secretly pulling for Henderson.
No doubt about that. He’s faced with the dubious prospect of moving back up to 205 if Silva owns Hendo. Either that or opening up a chain of Ace Franklin’s Fried Chicken Shacks along the eastern seaboard. No disrespect to Franklin, he was a classy champ and a good poster boy for the sport, but where will he have to go while Silva is ruling the division. He couldn’t cycle through the talent pool while eyeing a third match up with Silva, could he?
the middleweight is the one division that needs more great fighters the ufc also needs more lightweight fighters but no one really cares about that division in the LHW division there is liddell rampage henderson bisping hammill evans etc and in the welterweight division there is serra hughes gsp sanchez and koscheck and in the heavyweight division there is cro cop gonzaga congo sylvia and vera
The UFC will address the 185 division once Silva & Henderson fight. While I don’t consider Tanner a top signing (compared to Silva, Henderson and Franklin), I think we’ll see Filho join the UFC and others.
Glad Tanner’s coming back. Don’t know where he’ll be at skill-wise but he was always fun to watch and very game. And you always knew you had a new haircut coming. Maybe that’s why he took a mini-retirement, he ran out of new hairstyles. One would assume he’s come up with a new one for his return. The beard perhaps?
i have a question what About GSP i think he is amazing and it was fluke he lost to serra and he will get his title back what if
GSP vs Silva
I guess you’ve missed the numerous other posts about a GSP vs. Silva. Not gonna happen. Ever.
dont really look at post ever.. owell atleast there is no way hendo can lose to silva
I’m glad to see you’re so confident. I do agree he will win, but I can’t be quite as confident in it as you are.
Silva > Henderson
Silva > GSP @185
GSP > Silva @ 170
I think Silva is pound for pound #1 in the world right now. I’m a big GSP supporter, but I wouldn’t want to see him face Silva. Both are best suited for the divisions they are in.
The jump from 170 to 185 is, for some reason, the worst weight jump you can make. Many top 185ers have come down from 205, which is pretty damn big, whereas a couple recent 170 champs are guys that came up from 155, which appears very doable. GSP is awesome at 170 because he’s one of the strongest at that weight out there. He can manhandle most guys in the division. Same goes for Hughes, who would be a Hobbit at 185. GSP could make the jump better, because he’s a more complete fighter, be he’d still be in a major uphill battle against any of the top guys. Silva would crush him. GSP at 185 would be like Roy Jones Jr. at Heavyweight. Capable of taking out anyone that’s not an elite fighter, but in very dangerous waters against the top guys. He’ll never move up.
Hendo is strong but so was Franklin; let’s be clear Rich is a big strong 185 and Anderson owned him in the clinch. If Hendo relies on his strength to save him he will wake up and wonder where he is.
Before the arrival of Anderson Silva, Rich Franklin was dominating a fairly weak MW division. Henderson is ALL round better than Rich Franklin – The UFC were concered that no one could take Silva’s belt.(making the MW Division a Bore) That is why Dana White has taked Henderson into Dropping down – cos he can & will take the belt. The Guy knocked out Wandi!!! (The Chute Box Legend)
I think Anderson Silva is a great Fighter – But Hendersons skill set matches up against him well.
It’s gonna be a great fight though… very close!!
Let’s bring in Filho already.
Filho will come in as part of the UFC vs WEC PPV they will do in 2008. Dana discussed recently doing a cross-promotion “super bowl” event with UFC & WEC since Pride has been shut down.
Filho would get dominated if he fought like last night.
Yeah, Filho would have lost if that guy kept boxing him. Filho looked a little soft in the midsection coming into the ring. He looked very human.
Vampslayr – I was one of the 10 at 68 too! I’ll be one of the hundreds at 82!
This is gonna be a really close match. Hendo has a chance, but I still see Silva having the edge due to underratted BJJ. Hendo is tenatious and never quits, however, and this will be more a test of the untested Silva’s heart than anything else.
Finally a real threat to Andersons belt, I beleive Hendo will pull this one off.
anyone can get knocked out at anytime… So for someone to think hendo is gonna win just because he knocked out wandi is just plain crazy. my personal opinion (just my opinion) hendo is not better than franklin. It seems to me that there is a lot of haterism out there.. Yea it may be boring for anderson to keep destroying everyone but just give the man his props for being the best and stop tryin to find excuses for every opponent of his to have this great shot of winning. Now i’m not saying its going to be a 30 second fight but I truly do not believe hendo has a shot in hell..
Anderson is good dont get me wrong he is a bad ass, I just think Henderson is more of a brawler whos not afraid to mix it up like alot of other fighters plus hes a better wrestler than Andersons other opponents so in this case he should be able to take Anderson down at will and mark my words he will, I know for a fact hes going to give Anderson problems. Lets say Anderson throws him in the Muy Thai clinch Henderson is stonger than other cats and will break it, the only thing henderson needs to watch out for is getting caught other than that hes good just like the sunshine. Like i said anderson silvas first real threat to the title, if he beats Henderson he goes down as one of the baddest in UFC history in my opinion. As for Rich franklin that guys a local stud but you can predict almost evrything he going to do in a fight also I dont see his stand up improving he needs top try new techniques and get the inside brawl style like Couture and maybe work some Mu Thai and some takedowns and some Brazillian Jiu jit su the he can whip Anderson.
Hendo by KO with that super fast out of no where overhand right.
after watching Dans last fight with rampage, it was close, QJ is a different type fighter then anderson, QJ hands are better and he is stronger, more disigned for a grinding match as is hendso, but anderson has better knees, if u watch most of AS victories, his main strike is his knee, flying or in the clinch, for hendo to win this he will have to take AS in the later rounds and test his cardio and also AS chin. Hendo is more likely to win a grinding type wresting match( similar to MH style). During the fight with QJ, hendo ducked his head often, if he does this against silva it will be a big mistake, he may be able to strike from the outside, but inside AS knees are very dangerous
sorry for the bad english, its not my first lang
seriously, u guys need to wake up!!!!!!!!!!
Dan henderson is going to have the ufc 185 belt no question about it. you can comment me all u want but just wait until saturday and then all that will not matter. Dont get me wrong I have been and still will be a big silva fan but there is no way he is going to beat hendo and that is that!!!!!!!!!!!!
This, like all top-level MMA matches, will be a chess match. We have seen that Silva starts slowly, as a counter-puncher in the first round. Once he connects with a solid counter, he gains confidence and starts to step in, circle, and throw combinations. He has natural talent unlike any other MMA fighter I have seen. He also has the calm, confident intellect of a champion (think of Fedor) that allows him to see all openings, instead trying to force things that aren’t there. However…………Hendo is a very smart fighter that has fought the best in the sport. When I say smart, I mean that he is on the same level as a Randy Couture when it comes to executing a gameplan. Hendo will throw his overhand right early and often, while he has the energy to throw it effectively. He will miss, but it won’t be devastating because Silva only counters with one or two punches early in his fights. The greater effect will be that it will allow Dan to easily use his right hand to feign and that step inside into the clinch, where he is unlike anything the spider has ever seen before. It is inevitable that Dan will get the takedown and end up on top. The main question that I have is what happens from there. I thought Dan’s GNP game looked weak agaist Rampage. Dan had top position and didn’t really land anything devastating. If he lays on top and wastes energy keeping the spider down, he could be in trouble when the ref stands them up. I have questions about silva’a ability to go 5 hard rounds only because we have never seen him do it. My heart says Hendo, but my brain says Silva. Oh and btw, Shogun fought Forest with a torn-up knee which is why he couldn’t do cardio for months before the fight, causing him to gas so quickly. I can’t stand when people say Forest is a better fighter. He has no talent and it’s a joke that he gets to fight ‘page for the title just because he beat an injured shogun, who was supposed to get a title fight if he won. Rampage will prove my point when he eats Forest alive. Also, Shogun is healthy now, and he is fighting chuck in June. I think I’ll start drinking now for that one. WOW.
#67 – I disagree. There are plenty of questions to be asked and all will be answered tomorrow night. I believe Silva will win, but won’t be surprised if Hendo wins. I’m anxious to see how Hendo’s clutch and Silva’s Mui Thai compare, as well as Silva’s BJJ vs Hendo’s Wrestling/GNP. Enjoy the fights! I’ll be in Section 121 Lower Level, Row HH, Seat 3. Anyone going, stop over and say hey (damn suits hogged all the loge seats, oh well).