Cagewriter - UFC

(When does Hendo need to return the Range Rover?)

It's one thing to nab Fedor Emelianenko and retain the rights to Gegard Mousasi, now Strikeforce may have awakened the beast by stealing Dan Henderson from the UFC. Henderson, who has been pining for a title rematch against Anderson Silva, finally gave up on that possibility and according to Yahoo! Sports' Kevin Iole is going to sign with Strikeforce

The obvious fights for the 205-pound Henderson with Strikeforce/Showtime have to be Mousasi and newly signed Mo Lawal. There may not be a ton of depth for Henderson to run through but at 39-years-old, he's clearly jumping at one final chance to make big money and the opportunity to fight on CBS. Strikeforce debuts its first CBS card on Nov. 7. 

UPDATE: According to MMA Fanhouse, management on both sides say no deal is done.

"We had a brief get-to-know-you session with (Strikeforce) and met them for coffee, but to say he's close to signing would be a gross misrepresentation," said Henderson business partner Aaron Crecy said.

When reached by FanHouse, Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said, "We've had dialogue with Dan but that's all I'd like to say."

UFC president Dana White has often called Strikeforce, "Strikefarce" saying Scott Coker's promotion is too small to swim in the deep waters:

"They should've stayed the way they were," White told Cagewriter back in August. "They want to fight me, we're gonna fight. You know how that goes and you know how that ends. They're a small-time show that's trying to act big. It's a joke. It's a tiny little regional show with nobody in it."

White took a risk with the way he handled Henderson's contract negotiations. Henderson, a free agent, said on repeated occasions that the next fight he wanted was the Silva rematch (lost to Silva back at UFC 82). Silva was promised to the winner of the Henderson-Michael Bisping fight at UFC 100. Henderson scored a devastating knockout of the Brit and thought he had gotten his Silva fight. White changed his mind later in August, stating that Henderson should fight Nate Marquardt with the winner facing Silva. It seems like that was the turning point for Henderson, who has now bailed on the promotion.

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146 Comments

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  1. JASON J
    1. Posted by JASON J Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:48 pm EDT

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    Strikeforce is being more and more legit everyday.
  2. Eli the Ace
    2. Posted by Eli the Ace Fri Oct 16, 2009 6:52 pm EDT

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    Henderson vs Mousasi? Now thats a fight I'll watch, beats a rematch with Marquardt any day
  3. z
    3. Posted by z Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:06 pm EDT

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    wow i didn't even see that as an option... WTF was Dana thinking? Hendo is one of my favorite fighters. it's going to be tough on the ufc when they try to show strikeforce up on fight night hummm who will we watch.
  4. jayyolf1
    4. Posted by jayyolf1 Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:08 pm EDT

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    Awesome! Hendo vs. Mousasi is gonna be dope! Dana White is f**king up bigtime, he should have given him the rematch against Anderson............
  5. kazvega
    5. Posted by kazvega Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:11 pm EDT

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    Say it ain't so Hendo...
  6. Curly
    6. Posted by Curly Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:31 pm EDT

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    Henderson vs Mousasi!! I'm so there. Too bad UFC. Bad move letting him go.
  7. Parus
    7. Posted by Parus Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:37 pm EDT

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    I saw this [profane] coming, not the move to Strikeforce but I knew something would go wrong because Hendo didn't want to fight Nate Marq. Strikeforce keeps getting some legit fighters, and with the talks with co-promoting with Dream...damn [profane] could hit the fans for the UFC.
  8. jacob d
    8. Posted by jacob d Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    I thought Mo Lawal and Henderson where from the same camp.
  9. DoWnEr 420
    9. Posted by DoWnEr 420 Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:47 pm EDT

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    Good, now he can rack up decisions over in strikeforce. Henderson had no shot at beating silva and i dont understand why everyone would feel that would be a good rematch to watch. Anderson would have either destroyed him (like the 2nd round) again or hendo would have laid on silva and tried to outpoint him (like the 1st round).
  10. Eli the Ace
    10. Posted by Eli the Ace Fri Oct 16, 2009 7:52 pm EDT

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    @JACOB D
    Mo Lawal is from the same camp as Dan Henderson but Coefield writes out of his butt so he doesnt know that.
  11. Brent Y
    11. Posted by Brent Y Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:16 pm EDT

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    This is what happens when Anderson Silva is afraid of fighting Hendo again, and convinces Dana to let him go. Anderson made 3 excuses for avoiding Henderson back in August. Dana White and Anderson Silva give me a stomach ache.
  12. meatpopcycle
    12. Posted by meatpopcycle Fri Oct 16, 2009 8:43 pm EDT

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    hendo should have gotten a title shot, his record of top notch guys warrents it. not to mention he whooped up on vitor in pride, oh and vitor tested positive after he got beat down.
  13. kryptonic
    13. Posted by kryptonic Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:00 pm EDT

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    As much as it sucks for the UFC to lose Hendo, it doesn't exactly hurt them. They were already weary of giving Anderson too many rematches, and it's not like they lost a champion. Yeah he got a lot of exposure from UFC 100 and he's a legend, it's not like Strikeforce can really claim he's the best at either 185 or 205, since he's lost in the UFC in both classes. Also, he's 39 and won't be fighting that much longer. I actually think this would be fine for all parties involved, since it gives the UFC the chance to push some new fighters up at middleweight and Hendo the chance to fight some new names with possible CBS exposure. It should be a telling sign that such a big deal is being made about one fighter going to the promotion. I think everyone and everything will turn out just fine.
  14. WORM
    14. Posted by WORM Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:00 pm EDT

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    Nice shot Cofield, Henderson bails on the company? I mean, the UFC is where he made his name and everything right? I have to agree with nutcracker, or Joenamath, or whoever, this guy is on Dana's nuts hardcore. Are these writers actually on the payroll of the UFC?
  15. gaul
    15. Posted by gaul Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:01 pm EDT

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    Henderson is at the end of a good career but failed at winning a belt in the UFC and will have more of a chance in SF so good move for him.
  16. meatpopcycle
    16. Posted by meatpopcycle Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:14 pm EDT

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    if hendo was chuck liddel of randy couture he would of got a shot after he beat rosimeer polaris or whatever his name is.
  17. Maggie Hendricks
    17. Posted by Maggie Hendricks Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:38 pm EDT

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    @Bill G, Mo Lawal hasn't trained at Team Quest since Ryan Parsons left.
  18. WORM
    18. Posted by WORM Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:58 pm EDT

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    i know allen, sorry, trying to sound sarcastic, but this is typing. i was saying how the writer of the blog is kind of a creep
  19. JASON J
    19. Posted by JASON J Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:00 pm EDT

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    Maggie, Are you as cute as your Avatar?
  20. Eli the Ace
    20. Posted by Eli the Ace Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:00 pm EDT

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    @ Maggie Hendricks
    I apologize to Coefield after being corrected by you, but being that they did fight in the same camp and Mo still fights out of Temecula I doubt they would agree to fight each others. Why is Coefield trying to make Hendo look like the bad guy? Hendo said he would fight Nate again if the numbers were right and apparently Strikeforce is willing to pay more.
  21. BrentD
    21. Posted by BrentD Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:15 pm EDT

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    Dana will regret this day....mark my words. Hendo will begin the exodus from UFC to Strikeforce. The next Strikeforce show will do very well and Dana will look like the huge douche he is!
  22. Reswik
    22. Posted by Reswik Fri Oct 16, 2009 10:41 pm EDT

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    Why is Silva's camp shying away from fighting Henderson and Marquardt back-to-back? Afraid of defeat - he has no reason to be - he's beat both men before... or is he afraid the two fighters have learned much about their individual styles since their last respective title fights? If you want to keep that "world's best pound-for-pound fighter" label... you shouldn't be shying away from anyone... no matter how many fighters wait in line.
  23. chiggidy300
    23. Posted by chiggidy300 Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:12 pm EDT

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    Dana is making a huge mistake. Big time MMA fans watch the UFC cuz it is deeper and big time MMA love Hendo. Not good should have got a deal done no matter what.
  24. Last to Know
    24. Posted by Last to Know Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:18 pm EDT

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    I love the repeated kicks to the face, the broken noses and jaws, the streaming coagulating blood, and the weeping widows and orphans. Greatest sport on earth! Unless someone wants to say it is a "game" and not a "sport." Le them get their face kicked in, so I can laugh.
  25. Mr.Brooks
    25. Posted by Mr.Brooks Fri Oct 16, 2009 11:18 pm EDT

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    Looks like I will have to watch the Strikeforce shows after all, DW is getting way to full of himself. I have liked Hendo as a fighter and a cool guy for a long time, I hope he does well in strikeforce if he goes..
    Whats up nut?

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