Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson 2: The Right Kind of Crazy
Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson 2: The Right Kind of Crazy
A rematch between middleweight champion Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson doesn't sound right, but it fits for the state of MMA in 2016.
There are a lot of reasons to love mixed martial arts. But chaos is the best reason of all.
Anything can happen, and when the wildest twists occur we are reminded why our romance with the face-punching spectacle first began.
If you'd told us a year ago that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016, we would have laughed.
In June of last year, the brash-talking Brit had just rebounded from a drubbing at the hands of Luke Rockhold.
He was preparing to face Thales Leites at UFC Fight Night 72. Over Bisping’s storied career he’d knocked on the door to bigger things on several occasions, but much like the showing against Rockhold in Australia, The Ultimate Fighter winner failed to shine in the most crucial moments.
13 months later, Bisping has claimed the 185-pound throne. He has defeated Leites, Anderson Silva and Rockhold. That’s a hell of a run.
And now, a proposed rematch with Dan Henderson is the right kind of crazy. When you add in the middleweight strap, it becomes an even more wondrous and beautiful thing.
Just the fact the former Olympian is still in the conversation is insanity. Henderson has dropped an “H-Bomb” on Father Time again and again.
Henderson was once considered a perennial contender in multiple divisions. But the past three years have been difficult for the legend to navigate. Henderson has found success in only three of his nine showings over that stretch. But it has been his ability to shine when his back has been against the wall that has furthered his legacy and kept him as a relevant player.
When the former two-divisional PRIDE champion stepped in against Hector Lombard at UFC 199, it seemed as if the elder statesman was being led to pasture. Henderson certainly possessed the power to turn any man at any weight’s lights off. But Lombard’s pressure and urgency to turn his career around appeared to create a mountain of an obstacle.
And when the action got underway, the story unfolded according to projections. Henderson stung Lombard early, but the former Bellator king recovered and leveled him twice with big shots. Henderson was in survival mode going into the second round, and a Lombard victory seemed imminent.
Yet, the most recent chapter of Henderson’s storied career has been all about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Lombard simply became the latest victim. Henderson smashed him with a back elbow then planted two forearm shivers on a Lombard who was laid out stiff to seal the deal.
Henderson’s finish at UFC 199 harkened to the way he capped off his performance against Bisping at UFC 100. And for all things strange in MMA, that storyline has been resurrected in the aftermath of Los Angeles.
Last Saturday night, a few bouts up the card from his former rival, Bisping did the improbable by knocking out Rockhold to become the middleweight champion. In the days after shocking the world, Bisping spun another twist by publicly stating an immediate rematch would not be granted to Rockhold.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Nahmles/status/740642353568960512" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Henderson called for another dance with Bisping, and it seems the champion may in fact be up for it. News of a potential rematch with Henderson received mixed reviews from fight fans across social media platforms, but that could be due in large part to the passionate collective not realizing why it makes sense.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bisping/status/740724510295396352" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza would appear to be the most deserving of a title opportunity. But when the chaos filter is applied to that picture, Henderson’s image becomes more prominent.
The next five years will feature a mix-and-match scramble between Souza, Rockhold, Weidman and Yoel Romero. Those four fighters will give the sport memorable rivalries and probably a trilogy or two.
In the present Michael Bisping is the reigning king, and he has a grudge to settle. There has undoubtedly been a sour taste in his mouth lingering for the past seven years since being starched by Henderson’s right hand, and if Bisping has proven anything to the fight community it’s that redemption is a huge part of his motivation.
It’s what fueled him to step up on short notice to face Rockhold, and what powered him to claim victory in a fight few figured he could win. Bisping wants to prove he’s a better fighter than he was on that historic night in 2009. Why not use the hottest streak of his career to roll those dice?
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/battle_rabbits/status/741051405138436096" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
UFC gold is the only major title that has eluded Henderson. He’s clobbered his way to a crown on every stage he’s competed upon, but the most prestigious one in the sport has always fallen out of his reach.
While Henderson expressed uncertainty for his fighting future after snuffing Lombard, the chance to take another crack at Bisping and possibly get his hands on the middleweight title has to be appealing to him.
In the bigger picture, a rematch between Bisping and Henderson makes very little sense. But for these wild and crazy times, it’s the perfect flavor of chaos for what has been a remarkable year in MMA.
Anything can happen, and when the wildest twists occur we are reminded why our romance with the face-punching spectacle first began.
If you'd told us a year ago that Michael Bisping would be the UFC middleweight champion in 2016, we would have laughed.
In June of last year, the brash-talking Brit had just rebounded from a drubbing at the hands of Luke Rockhold.
He was preparing to face Thales Leites at UFC Fight Night 72. Over Bisping’s storied career he’d knocked on the door to bigger things on several occasions, but much like the showing against Rockhold in Australia, The Ultimate Fighter winner failed to shine in the most crucial moments.
13 months later, Bisping has claimed the 185-pound throne. He has defeated Leites, Anderson Silva and Rockhold. That’s a hell of a run.
And now, a proposed rematch with Dan Henderson is the right kind of crazy. When you add in the middleweight strap, it becomes an even more wondrous and beautiful thing.
Just the fact the former Olympian is still in the conversation is insanity. Henderson has dropped an “H-Bomb” on Father Time again and again.
Henderson was once considered a perennial contender in multiple divisions. But the past three years have been difficult for the legend to navigate. Henderson has found success in only three of his nine showings over that stretch. But it has been his ability to shine when his back has been against the wall that has furthered his legacy and kept him as a relevant player.
When the former two-divisional PRIDE champion stepped in against Hector Lombard at UFC 199, it seemed as if the elder statesman was being led to pasture. Henderson certainly possessed the power to turn any man at any weight’s lights off. But Lombard’s pressure and urgency to turn his career around appeared to create a mountain of an obstacle.
And when the action got underway, the story unfolded according to projections. Henderson stung Lombard early, but the former Bellator king recovered and leveled him twice with big shots. Henderson was in survival mode going into the second round, and a Lombard victory seemed imminent.
Yet, the most recent chapter of Henderson’s storied career has been all about snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Lombard simply became the latest victim. Henderson smashed him with a back elbow then planted two forearm shivers on a Lombard who was laid out stiff to seal the deal.
Henderson’s finish at UFC 199 harkened to the way he capped off his performance against Bisping at UFC 100. And for all things strange in MMA, that storyline has been resurrected in the aftermath of Los Angeles.
Last Saturday night, a few bouts up the card from his former rival, Bisping did the improbable by knocking out Rockhold to become the middleweight champion. In the days after shocking the world, Bisping spun another twist by publicly stating an immediate rematch would not be granted to Rockhold.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/Nahmles/status/740642353568960512" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Henderson called for another dance with Bisping, and it seems the champion may in fact be up for it. News of a potential rematch with Henderson received mixed reviews from fight fans across social media platforms, but that could be due in large part to the passionate collective not realizing why it makes sense.
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/bisping/status/740724510295396352" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza would appear to be the most deserving of a title opportunity. But when the chaos filter is applied to that picture, Henderson’s image becomes more prominent.
The next five years will feature a mix-and-match scramble between Souza, Rockhold, Weidman and Yoel Romero. Those four fighters will give the sport memorable rivalries and probably a trilogy or two.
In the present Michael Bisping is the reigning king, and he has a grudge to settle. There has undoubtedly been a sour taste in his mouth lingering for the past seven years since being starched by Henderson’s right hand, and if Bisping has proven anything to the fight community it’s that redemption is a huge part of his motivation.
It’s what fueled him to step up on short notice to face Rockhold, and what powered him to claim victory in a fight few figured he could win. Bisping wants to prove he’s a better fighter than he was on that historic night in 2009. Why not use the hottest streak of his career to roll those dice?
[tweet url="https://twitter.com/battle_rabbits/status/741051405138436096" hide_media="0" hide_thread="1"]
UFC gold is the only major title that has eluded Henderson. He’s clobbered his way to a crown on every stage he’s competed upon, but the most prestigious one in the sport has always fallen out of his reach.
While Henderson expressed uncertainty for his fighting future after snuffing Lombard, the chance to take another crack at Bisping and possibly get his hands on the middleweight title has to be appealing to him.
In the bigger picture, a rematch between Bisping and Henderson makes very little sense. But for these wild and crazy times, it’s the perfect flavor of chaos for what has been a remarkable year in MMA.