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.

“I guarantee you 1,000 percent that Dan Henderson is signed by Strikeforce,” said White. “Dan and I have been friends and we will continue to be friends, but it just didn’t work out and he went to Strikeforce.”

Coker says Henderson’s management informed him that he had declined the UFC’s offer and was ready to work on a deal with Strikeforce, but Coker but negotiations on hold temporarily due to his schedule for this weekend’s Strikeforce Challengers 4 and “Fedor vs. Rogers” events.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC news and Strikeforce news.

“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.

You know what’s [expletive] hilarious? I went to dinner last night, and [Henderson's] lawyer and (Strikeforce CEO) Scott Coker are sitting at dinner together last night. I said, ‘What are the [expletive] odds that out of every restaurant in L.A., the one that I go to, these guys are here?

The negotiations are done. I made [Henderson] an offer, and I guarantee you the offer that I made him, Strikeforce can’t pay.

I like Dan. We’re totally cool. You’ll never hear me say a bad thing about Dan Henderson, other than he’s ugly, and that’s just the truth.”

Henderson’s manager, Aaron Crecy, responded to White’s claims with Sherdog:

“Contracts are confidential, so that statement’s impossible to prove or disprove. However, we have done our due diligence. We certainly don’t believe that to be the case. Dan understands and we have a certain belief on where he stands in the hierarchy. Certainly there are champions and former UFC champions that deserve to be paid more than Dan.

The only reason we spoke with Strikeforce, if I’m not mistaken, was because Dana suggested we do so, at a time when he said the UFC wasn’t prepared to pay Dan what he’s asking, and that’s fine.

Right now (Dan’s) just trying to gather information, and that’s his right to do as someone who has no obligation to any particular organization. After negotiating exclusively with the UFC for the last few months, he’s exploring what options there are.

Our position has never been to argue in the media. We understand where the economy is. The last thing Dan wants to do is complain about money to fans. Ultimately, Dan does have a good relationship with and a great deal of respect for (UFC owners) Dana, Lorenzo (Fertitta), and Frank (Fertitta). He has nothing negative to say about them. Nothing’s done until a contract’s signed. Period.”

For more Dan Henderson news check out MMAFrenzy.com’s Dan Henderson tag.

Pictured: Dan Henderson

“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. I’ve never even seen an offer from [Strikeforce],” said Henderson, who is coming off a devastating knockout victory over Michael Bisping in July. “UFC’s got a business to run and I’m not doing charity work with this. I don’t believe that I’m asking for too much money, and I know for a fact that I’m taking less money than other fighters. I’m sure that I’ll find a job somewhere.”

Should he return to the UFC, Henderson is expected to square off against fellow contender Nate Marquardt or could get an immediate shot at the middleweight title currently held by Anderson Silva.

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.

Henderson (25-7), who’s currently a free agent but expected to re-sign with the UFC, is riding a three-fight win streak since his 2008 loss to Silva, including a second-round knockout of Michael Bisping in July. Marquardt (29-8-2), who knocked out Demian Maia in just 21-seconds in August, has also won three-straight and is 4-1 since his 2007 loss to Silva.

UFC 105 is expected to air on Spike TV and also features Michael Bisping vs. Denis Kang and Dan Hardy vs. Dong Hyun Kim.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC 105 news and UFC 105 rumors.

Pictured: Nate Marquardt

“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.”

Gross also shot down a rumor that Henderson could fight Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in the main event of UFC 105, writing that Little Nog was “never mentioned as a possible opponent” for Henderson.

Silva, the UFC’s middleweight champ, has called for Henderson to fight Nate Marquardt to determine the division’s top-contender, but Henderson has maintained that Silva is the only fight he’s interested in at 185-pounds and that he’d return to light heavyweight if he doesn’t get a title shot rematch.

Check out MMAFrenzy.com’s Dan Henderson tag for the latest Dan Henderson news.

Details on the injury have not been released, though it is not believed to have occurred in his August 8 first-round knockout of Forrest Griffin and is suspected to be lingering injury he has finally chosen to repair while he’s taking a break from fighting.

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.

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for updates on Silva’s surgery and return, as well as the likely matchup between Marquardt and Henderson.

“I think the fight that should happen is Nate Marquardt against Dan Henderson for the number one title contender,” said Silva’s manager Ed Soares recently told MMA Weekly. “He’ll take a rest… he’s fought twice this year,” he said. “He’s got three fights left on his contract. He wants to work out a little kinks and bruises that he’s got. He wants to take a little break.”

Henderson, meanwhile, isn’t open to fighting Marquardt, a matchup that could headline UFC 105 in Manchester, England, and could instead return to light heavyweight for his next fight, he recently told SI.com:

“I think I’m the one guy that poses enough dangers [to Silva] style-wise,” he said. “If I were his manager, I’d be trying not to have him fight me as well. I know that Anderson Silva is really trying not to fight me. It’s obvious.”

Henderson said if the UFC came to him with a bout against Marquardt, he would turn it down and seek challenges at light heavyweight.

“I think he’s right in line for a title shot as well, but I feel I’ve earned that already,” Henderson said. “That’s a fight that more than likely will happen in the future, but I think right now, from the UFC’s standpoint, they shouldn’t be having me and Nate fight each other. They’re going to get stuck without any new opponents for Anderson Silva.

“Silva is the only fight that interests me at 185. I said that before Nate’s fight.”

Stay tuned to MMAFrenzy.com for the latest UFC news and UFC rumors.

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.

The television series will make use of the extensive library of Pride video footage that Zuffa, LLC (parent company of the UFC) purchased when it purchased the promotion back in 2007. It is expected to include footage of many of the former Pride stars that now compete inside the UFC Octagon, including Dan Henderson, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Anderson Silva, Mirko “Cro Cop” Filopovic, and Wanderlei Silva. Spike has also claimed that they will include Fedor Emelianenko in some of the broadcasts, despite his notable absence from the UFC.

This move by Zuffa was foreshadowed by Owner Lorenzo Fertitta sporting a Pride T-shirt at and around UFC 100 in early July. Since that sighting of Fertitta in the Pride paraphernalia, an official Pride store has been added to the official UFC store on the promotion’s website, and can also be reached by visiting www.pridefcstore.com. The store includes shirts, shorts, hats, and a DVD.

Perhaps Fertitta’s shirt, and the creation of the Pride store were just done in anticipation of the upcoming creation of the The Best of Pride Fighting Championships television series, or maybe all three are foreshadowing another future move by Zuffa, LLC involving the Pride banner. This author believes there may be something bigger brewing with the Pride name, but then I could be completely off base. Only time will tell if I’m right about that, but at least we get to re-watch some great fights.

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:

That Silva could move up a weight class and not just win, but destroy with power, was a game-changing and perhaps UFC-altering moment. That’s what Silva and his manager, Ed Soares, wanted to discuss with White.

With his arm wrapped around White’s shoulder, Soares leaned in and delivered a proposition. “Spider” Silva would move permanently to light heavyweight, even if it meant the unorthodox move of giving up his middleweight belt.

“I can do that,” White smiled, a bit stunned at the offer. “I like that. We can do that.”

Soares smiled and shook White’s hand. Silva had been accosted by a fan by then and couldn’t hear White, but it was presumably the news he was seeking. The man has such outrageous confidence in his abilities he’s willing to potentially toss away a championship he’s owned for almost three years to take a challenge outside his comfort zone.

“I’d let him,” White said later, sitting in his quiet dressing room. “We’d put [the middleweight title] up for grabs.”

Silva had been expected to return to middleweight for his next fight to defend the title against Dan Henderson, but the matchup could be off if the UFC opts to keep Silva at light heavyweight. Complicating matters is Silva’s friendship with current light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida, with the pair vowing that they won’t fight eachother.

In a related video, Henderson was cageside in Philadelphia to watch Silva’s win over Griffin and is convinced he’d be able to beat Silva up and win a possible rematch: