Dan Henderson, a former PRIDE title-holder and current middleweight contender, has likely signed with Strikeforce, UFC President Dana White recently told Yahoo Sports. According to the report, a source close to the situation confirmed Henderson had signed with Strikeforce and White echoed the news, though Strikeforce’s Scott Coker denied a deal is done.

At Thursday’s UFC 104 press conference in Los Angeles, UFC President Dana White said contract negotiations with free agent middleweight contender Dan Henderson broke down as Henderson sought to be the highest paid fighter in the promotion.

“We’re at a stalemate right now. The money that [Henderson] is asking for would make him by far the highest-paid guy in the UFC,” said White.

Middleweight contender Dan Henderson responded Friday to a Yahoo! Sports report that he was close to finalizing a deal with Strikeforce, telling MMA Weekly that he hopes to return to the UFC but that he’s exploring all his options.

“I’m still hoping to come to terms with the UFC, until I heard this. And I will be exploring other options for sure, but I definitely need to make sure I get paid.”

A matchup between middleweight contenders Dan Henderson and Nate Marquardt is being planned to headline UFC 105 on November 14 in Manchester, England, with Fanhouse reporting on Thursday that the UFC is “looking to book” the fight but that bout agreements have not yet been finalized.

Both Henderson and Marquardt are eyeing rematches with 185-pound king Anderson Silva, who could be available to fight by November after failing to undergo a previously-reported elbow surgery that was to sideline him until early next year.

Middleweight contender Dan Henderson has become a free agent following his knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100 in July, but is negotiating with the UFC and is likely to return to the promotion, according to SI.com’s Josh Gross.

“According to a source close to Hendo, Dan is a free agent. The source said Dan wants to remain in the UFC. It makes the most sense,” Gross recently Tweeted. “But as of right now he doesn’t have a contract with Zuffa. Negotiations were characterized as “slow.” Dan’s main focus is fighting [Anderson] Silva.”

UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva will soon undergo elbow surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the year, according to a Tweet from ESPN’s MMA Live.

With Silva now sidelined until sometime next year, it makes more sense than ever to have middleweight contenders Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson fight in the interim.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is taking some time off from fighting following his knockout of Forrest Griffin at light heavyweight last month at UFC 101 and hopes to see top middleweight contenders Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson meet soon to determine the top contender at 185-pounds.

First reported by Dana White at Friday's UFC 101 Q&A session, and officially announced Monday by Spike TV, The Best of Pride Fighting Championships series starts January 11, 2010 at 11pm on Spike. The show will be a weekly one hour series following a similar format to that of the UFC Unleashed, and will be hosted by former Maxim Magazine "Hometown Hotties" finalist Kenda Perez.

UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva could soon relinquish the 185-pound title he currently holds to remain at light heavyweight, where he’s 2-0 with back-to-back first-round knockouts of James Irvin and Forrest Griffin.

According to a Yahoo Sports report, Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, approached UFC President Dana While following Silva’s KO of Griffin at Saturday’s UFC 101 event in Philadelphia about a long-term move to 205.

At the post-UFC 101 press conference it was announced that the event drew an official attendance of 17,411 to the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia for a Pennsylvania-record $3.55 million live gate.

The event’s “Fight Night” bonuses, next opponents for BJ Penn and Anderson Silva, and possible destinations for future UFC cards were also announced at the press conference.

UFC President Dana White made several announcements during a Friday press conference, including confirmation that Vitor Belfort will be returning to the Octagon to headline UFC 103 against Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson is next in line for a middleweight title shot against Anderson Silva, and Tito Ortiz is officially returning to the UFC, likely facing Mark Coleman at the promotion’s New Year’s show.

The recently-announced UFC 103 main event rematch between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin could be off following this weeks collapse of Affliction’s MMA promotion and Tito Ortiz possibly returning to the Octagon.

Though announced, Franklin-Henderson has yet to added to the official fight card for the pay-per-view and rumors are now making the rounds that Dan Henderson vs. Vitor Belfort and Rich Franklin vs. Tito Ortiz could co-headline the September 19 event in Dallas.

After recently meeting one-on-one with UFC President Dana White, Rich Franklin has signed a new six-fight contract with the promotion, with the deal going into effect for his UFC 103 headlining rematch against Dan Henderson.

“I’m assuming (it’s at) 205,” said Franklin on Tuesday. “The last one was at 205. I’d guess that – I haven’t spoken to anyone about it, so anything I say is only speculation. Even if he lost to me at 205, it shouldn’t affect his standing at 185 pounds. So I’d assume the UFC would do this fight at 205.”

In a surprising matchup, middleweight contender Dan Henderson and light heavyweight contender Rich Franklin will meet in the main event of UFC 103 on September 19 in Dallas in a rematch of their January UFC 93 meeting, which saw Henderson top Franklin by split decision.

The UFC announced the bout on Monday and also confirmed the rumored UFC 103 co-headliner between veteran heavyweight Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic and up-and-comer Junior dos Santos.