Dan Henderson Expects Another Five Round War With Shogun Rua
Top 10-ranked UFC light heavyweight Dan Henderson has seen better times throughout his illustrious nearly 17-year MMA career. He’s held a multitude of prestigious world titles in MMA, with the only major title that’s eluded him being a UFC belt.
After three tough losses in a row, “Hendo” is miles away from true title contention. He’s currently tasked with defeating a man he beat once before in the main event of tomorrow night’s (March 23, 2014) UFC Fight Night 38 from Natal, Brazil.
The former Pride and Strikeforce champ will square off with “Shogun” Rua in a rematch of their classic UFC 139 bout, a fight that Henderson took home by narrow split decision. Rua wanted another shot at “Hendo,” who told FOX Sports that it may be tough to live up to the lofty expectations set forth by their first bout:
“You know, he wanted this fight, and I know the fans have been wanting it for a longtime too after the first one was so exciting, and I just hope it lives up to all the expectations. It’s gonna be tough to reenact the first fight and make it so exciting.”
And while “Shogun” is planning to end this fight early, Henderson said he’s ready to go the full distance just like the first fight:
“I’m expecting a 25-minute war. I mean, I landed some heavy shots on him last time, and he managed to get through those, and had a big heart and kept going. So I’m expecting nothing less from him this fight, and I’m ready to go five rounds.”
“Shogun” brings the momentum of a recent knockout over James Te Huna into the bout, while “Hendo” suffered his first-ever knockout loss at the hands of Vitor Belfort in his last bout at UFC Fight Night 32. Can the legendary Henderson outlast the younger Rua in a second five round battle?
