Bisping and Henderson look to settle feud at UFC 100

Written by Grady Roy   |   Wednesday, July 08 2009

Michael Bisping takes a huge step up in class at UFC 100, facing Dan Henderson.  Bisping will need to keep the fight standing and implement a careful fight plan in order to win. (Photo: UFC)

UFC 100 will be offer MMA fans across the world a very interesting matchup between Michael Bisping (18-1) and Dan Henderson (24-7).  This bout will be a war in the octagon, fueled by constant comments from the chirpy Brit, Bisping.  Meanwhile Henderson has remained fairly silent about his feeling towards his opponent.  Although, no one should be misled by Dan Henderson’s silence…he realizes what is at stake and will be prepared.

What additional statement could Henderson make at this point in his career?  With a resume that rivals any in the history of MMA, he is nothing short of proven.  Henderson is the only fighter to ever simultaneously hold titles in two weight divisions in PRIDE.  Holding victories over Allan Goes, Carlos Newton, Gilbert Yvel, Renato Sobral, Renzo Gracie, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Vitor Belfort, Wanderlei Silva, and Rich Franklin  it could be argued that Henderson is among the best in history based on that level of competition alone.

Michael Bisping, on the other hand, is unimpressed by Henderson’s credentials, and is set on one thing….knocking him out.  Although he gives Henderson credit as a top level fighter, Bisping feels that his victory is a foregone conclusion:

“I’ve been preparing for this fight mentally and physically for the whole of 2009.  In fact, I’ve been preparing for either Henderson or (Rich) Franklin since my last fight in October 2008. I knew I’d be fighting either one of those guys in my next fight and then had it narrowed down to one in January (when Henderson beat Franklin).  It has been a long time coming and I’m now glad that it’s just around the corner. I just can’t wait to get in there and do the job”, said Bisping.

Getting the KO against Henderson is nothing short of a monumental task.  First of all, Henderson has yet to be knocked out in his career despite having faced some of the most brutal strikers in the 205 pound weight class.  If Bisping thinks he will strut in the cage and KO the iron-jawed Henderson, he would be sadly mistaken.  No doubt Bisping’s fightplan is much more nuanced than that.

For Bisping to be successful he should look to wear down Henderson early in hopes of stealing a round.   Henderson looked exhausted in the final round of his fight against Franklin, and this could be significant here--especially if the rounds are split 1-1 going into the third. 

Bisping will want to circle Henderson with two main goals in mind.  First, as a moving target, it will be harder for the former Olympian Henderson to take him down.  Secondly, it opens the attack for Bisping to throw straight strikes, and kicks to the body.  By mixing in 2 or 3 punch combos while circling out against Henderson, Bisping can avoid a slugfest.  This is crucial since Henderson possesses devastating power in both hands and the last thing Bisping wants to do is walk straight in Dan Henderson with his attack.

Most importantly, Bisping must avoid being taken down.  He has a solid ground game, but nothing in comparison to Henderson’s dominance on the mat  In order for this to be a winnable fight for Bisping, the standup attack is where he has to do it.

As far as Henderson, he has the ability to dictate how fights unfold.  Not allowing his opponent to run around the ring in crucial.  Henderson knows he can take down Bisping at will, and must use that experience to set the pace, and do it early.  Bisping simply doesn’t possess the wrestling or submission foundation to combat Henderson effectively from his back.

Henderson should look for submission attempts while on the ground.  Naturally Bisping will want to get the fight up at all cost, which will leave him open to submission.  Henderson will need to use a strategy that is somewhat counterintuitive from the Team Quest ‘playbook’ of not going for the submission in order to maintain a dominant position.  In this fight, that’s exactly what he needs to do to earn a victory.

If the fight remains standing, Henderson will need to be more active in his previous fight against Rich Franklin.  Not relying too much on throwing the heavy right hand all the time, but instead of disguising it with some jabs or single hooks will prove more effective against Bisping.

Ultimately Henderson’s conditioning will be the biggest factor. At just shy of 39 years of age, he has showed some degree of decline in going the distance.  Against a much younger  fighter, Henderson should not depend on the judges’ decision to win the war; instead his focus should rest in taking it in the first two rounds.

The Bisping/Henderson matchup has been ‘lost in the shuffle’ somewhat amid the stacked UFC 100 fight card, but is one that fight fans shouldn’t overlook.  With both competitors fueled by a good degree of personal acrimony, they should be ready to wage war in what has the makings of a potential ‘Fight of the Night’.

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