Fedor and Henderson
When news broke that Dan Henderson turned down a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, many had questions why the former Olympian wouldn't want to rematch Lil Nog. Instead, Nogueira is booked to fight Alexander Gustafsson at the UFC's first card in Sweden.
Henderson spoke with Stephen Quadros and Jeff Dotseth of Clinch Gear Radio (Sirius 94 XM 208) to address why he turned down the fight with Nogueira:
"I was under the impression that [Dana White] was still kinda on the fence on whether he was gonna put me in front of Rashad (Evans) or not. That's assuming Rashad wins. He did offer me a fight with little Nogueira and I didn't think the fans would be interested in that fight and it's not as much time as I'd like to prepare for a five round fight so I told him I'd wait and see what happens with the Rashad fight. I'd like to fight Jones now rather than if I took that fight with Little Nog. I wouldn't be fighting Jones for another eight, ninth months. I'm okay waiting a little bit. It was more about having the time to prepare and I did inquire to say hey, I would be interested in doing it if it was a three round fight, I could have time to prepare."
While I understand Henderson's perspective, knowing the UFC's history of dealing with fighters who turn down fights, it probably wasn't a great career decision. The Nogueira fight is a dangerous one for the 'Dangerous' one but following career trajectory, Henderson would come in an overwhelming favorite.
Hopefully the decision won't come back to bite him if the UFC chooses to give Rashad Evans or Phil Davis the fight with Jones first. It also shouldn't be a surprise to anyone if the UFC pushes the winner of Gustafsson/Nogueira into title contention. Dan Henderson is gambling with his career, hopefully he has a sure fire winner.
0 recs | 59 comments
He is the biggest draw out of anyone besides Rashad Evans
that is in title contention. Plus he obviously doesn’t have many fights left in his career so he wants the biggest fights possible. I can’t blame him at all for turning that fight down, and I don’t think the UFC will hold it against him.
19Miles - January 12, 2012
Of course he has a sure fire winner.
It’s called his right hand.
Machiel Van - January 12, 2012
Super Combo Finish!
dajulzta - January 12, 2012
I can understand his decision...
BUT hopefully it works out for him. I personally don’t like guys waiting around for title shots and in this case Hendo would have gotten to avenge a loss on his record. I am a fan who would love to see him face Rogerio! It will be interesting to see what happens with him next…
Lunchbox15 - January 12, 2012
As much as Dana has it in for hendo
I still see hendo challenging for the title this year. End of the day he was the sf lhw champ before coming over and having a foty with shogun. It was a shrewd move, and might have been against Dana’s preference, but the lhw division doesn’t have the depth for Hendo to be swept under the rug.
Didn’t machida turn down a fight with rashad in a much more sensational fashion? Wasn’t that a few weeks before he got a title shot?
Armleglegarm Head - January 12, 2012 via mobile
*doesn't have the depth anymore
Seriously jones has been Anderson silva-ing lhw
Armleglegarm Head - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Dana has it in for Hendo?
Since when? Even when Dan left the UFC, both sides made it clear that it was amicable and strictly a matter of not being able to come to terms on the money.
Worldisart - January 12, 2012
No ill-will there at all
Dana just wasn’t wiling to pay the 800k per fight that Strikeforce offered.
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
I get the feeling they may not like each other, but they do respect each other.
M.Sphinx - January 12, 2012
I think they like and respect each other. There’s just some tension since they disagree over Dan’s worth to the promotion.
Machiel Van - January 12, 2012
You’re a high level fighter! We wanna see high level fights. We wouldn’t mind it. It isn’t such a reach like Mayweather/robert Guerrero
Krimson - January 12, 2012
I am sure the UFC still wants to make some coin with Dan while he's riding this current streak...
I don’t think they’re going to hang him out to dry for turning down that fight.
Phil Davis may be able to leapfrog Hendo for a shot at Jones, but I think that’s just a maybe at best, and only if he were to beat Rashad in very impressive fashion. I don’t think Gustafsson or Diet Nog becomes #1 contender with a win in Sweden.
I think Hendo’s fate all hinges on Rashad. If Rashad wins, ‘injury’ free, and can turn around soon, he’ll get the call. If not, I think Hendo gets the shot.
SteveevaD - January 12, 2012
Hendo is right...
not a compelling fight imo. he only has a few left and he wants to make the most money possible.
Kid Kimura - January 12, 2012
Wait a minute
Aren’t the fueltv main event fights only supposed to be 3 rounders, and he’s saying its not enough time to prepare for a 5 round fight? ot was that not officially announced yet? still confusing me
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
Hendo vs Lil Nog would not have been on FUEL though, more likely PPV.
Horselover Fat - January 12, 2012
so he would have taken it if it hadn’t been the main event? i hate to say dodge but….
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
but seriously, does that mean it was penned as the main event of ufc 146 then?
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
I don’t know, I don’t think they’ve said what event it would have been for. I’m just assuming it has to be a PPV or possibly FOX because of what big names we’re talking about + the five rounds thing (which doesn’t seem to apply for FUEL events, Guillard vs Miller is only three).
Horselover Fat - January 12, 2012
It would have been a 3 rounder
Not because it was on Fuel, but because 5 rounders are illegal in Sweden
Stiff Jab - January 13, 2012
I seriously doubt they would have put Hendo vs Lil Nog on FUEL, in Sweden.
Horselover Fat - January 13, 2012
I think Rashad deserves the shot more especially if he looks as good against Davis as he did against Tito. Hendo should have taken this fight because it would be a relatively straigh forward win that would keep him busy
Our Bovine Public - January 12, 2012
I don’t have a problem with his reasoning here. He’s an older guy, and he’s trying to get his title shot, Lil Nog fight doesn’t make much sense and is definitely a step down from his last win. Either way it’s pretty smart to at least wait until the Davis / Evans fight is done, before accepting any other fight than the title shot. Maybe Davis wins, or maybe Evans wins but gets injured again? Who knows.
Or if Evans wins and gets his shot next, we know Jones has said that he wants to fight often this year again, so hopefully it should be a quick turnaround for the Hendo fight after that (assuming Jones wins). I think Hendo is just being smart here.
Horselover Fat - January 12, 2012
Exactly
This makes sense on a couple of levels – as you pointed out, he has all the incentive in the world to wait until after Rashad’s fight to see how things play out. Moreover, he’s Dan freakin’ Henderson. He doesn’t have to take a fight that’s not a win-win for him if he doesn’t want to. Why risk all of the credit he’s built up with the Babalu, Feijao, Fedor, and Shogun wins on a fight with Nogueira that isn’t a great stylistic matchup for him?
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
Think i read this some where but..
Hasn’t Little Nog & Hendo fought once before in Pride?
jack knight starman - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Yup. Lil’ Nog won.
Machiel Van - January 12, 2012
Yeah
Lil Nog armbarred him.
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
I don’t see how Henderson doesn’t get his shot soon. It’s not like Jones is going to stop taking fights, and it’s not like there are a lot of contenders.
I’m way more interested in seeing Jones/Gustafsson by the end of the year of early next year. I don’t know if Gustafsson’s TDD is good enough yet or if it ever will be, but he’s the only one I could see beating Jones.
crazybones - January 12, 2012
He and Phil Davis
Are by far the most interesting contenders for the throne. I’m just not sure Bones is beatable.
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
Never forget GSP vs Matt Serra. NEVER.
Machiel Van - January 12, 2012
I don’t think Phil has a chance. Even if Jones stopped improving as a fighter right this second, it would probably take years for Phil to catch up.
crazybones - January 12, 2012
Agreed
Bones is light years beyond him everywhere except wrestling, and even that’s offset by his superior athleticism.
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
I dont know. It’s not like Jones has amazing stand up. He has used his extraordinary reach and that will be negated somewhat against Davis. I would say Davis has equal or better wrestling and Jits, especially working closely with Lloyd Irvine. They mirror each other and I think it will be very close when they meet up.
memitim - January 12, 2012 via mobile
I'd like to believe that
But Jones’ stand up is getting better every time out, and he’s doing a better and better job of using that ridiculous reach. Jones has five inches of reach and two inches of height on Davis, and until Phil proves that he can be dangerous on the feet – not just effective, as he was against Lil Nog – Bones doesn’t have much to worry about there. I’m with you as far as Davis’ submission grappling, but he has nothing on Jones in the clinch and nobody’s yet been able to shoot a strong double or single on him, which is basically Davis’ wrestling game.
Patrick Wyman - January 12, 2012
I’m very interested to see what Jones does with someone like Davis and his reach. All the guys he has been beating have 10+" reach differences. It will be new territory for him. I think Davis can out point him, let me see the Rashad fight and how the rest of his game has evolved and we will see what he can do striking wise. Jones is sloppy as can be and gets away with a lot with his distance. I’m actually more excited about Davis facing Jones than Rashad as a pure matchup.
memitim - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Strange idea though, gone from possibly fighting a guy whose supposed to be next in line to fighting someone probably 3 fights from a title shot, for lil nog that is. How good exactly is he supposed to be?
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
Lil' Nog?
He’s beaten Hendo before, though Hendo looked awful in that fight for whatever reason. He’s a southpaw with excellent boxing, respectable punching power, good chin, decent cardio and maybe the best guard in the division (apart perhaps from Shogun). On the flipside he’s slow as hell and has very fragile takedown defense and no discernible wrestling. Summary, he’s a very solid and dangerous fighter who’s gonna float about between 5 and 15 in the rankings depending on who he’s fought in any given period of time. Style match-ups are very important when evaluating Rogerio’s chances of winning a particular fight.
VenusBlue - January 12, 2012
Kinda strange then how then recently the ufc have been feeding him a diet of wrestlers or in tito’s case guy who used to at least. Then 1 win and he’s offered a top contender, but one stylistically he’s suited to a little more. I don’t think he’s as far from a title shot (yes I know he probably won’t get it anyway) or as much as a gatekeepers as people believe, imagine if he beats gustafsson.
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
Well, more he’s offered to hendo, but still, wouldve been strange matchmaking
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
i don’t know how you could garner interest for the Hendo/LilNog matchup itself. you could market Henderson and his desire for revenge, but the man wants a title shot, and after the last war with Shogun some fans might see that fight as a step back. he probably made the best decision for the UFC overall right there.
Victor Rodriguez - January 12, 2012
Hendo is good.
But I think the speed factor will be a problem for him. I also think that he would have to rush in to throw that bomb right hand cause of the range. Which leave me thinking he would be picked apart by Jones and submitted.
fightersvizion - January 12, 2012 via mobile
“Because he has diddly shit going for him right now and I’m on the hottest streak of my career, that’s why. I’m 40 f—kin years old, I just won the fight of the decade, and Dana wants me to fight some scrub that will never challenge for a title and is only recognizable because of his twin. No sir, I’m going to wait around until the chips fall into place and I’m facing Rashad, Jon Jones, or rematching Anderson Silva, because that’s where the money is man.”
And if he really said this, could anyone argue it?
Austin Martin - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Lil Nog is not just some scrub
but other than that its pretty spot on
19Miles - January 12, 2012
this, this and more this.
End of story.
I_Mad - January 12, 2012 via mobile
Why was this made public??
fighters turn down fight ALL the time, Why was this chosen to be made public?
ekc - January 12, 2012
Dana is kind of an asshole..
Horselover Fat - January 12, 2012
Kind of ?
RECE ROCK - January 13, 2012 via mobile
maybe he’s secretly regretting promising hendo a title shot in all that emotion after the shogun fight, the further you put something off, the less likely it is to happen
UK MMA MAN - January 12, 2012
Dan's getting screwed worse than Rashad.
The guy won the SF belt, demolished Fedor and beat Shogun to become the #2 guy in the division. I know that the UFC is trying to build a little hype for a fight between Rashad and Jones, but a #1 contenders fight between Evans and Davis is a farce.
Warbreezy - January 12, 2012
there's truth in there
But Evans vs Davis was set in motion a long time ago. Plus, Rashad is the real number one contender who got leapfrogged by Rampage AND Lyoto. Hendo is the number 2B contender
nannerb - January 13, 2012
Agreed. And you’ll find no bigger Hendo fan than me.
fbihop - January 13, 2012 via Android app
I think Dan legitimately leapfrogged Rashad though.
I’m not saying that Evans doesn’t deserve his shot, but I think that Hendo’s recently string of wins puts him in a better position to challenge. That’s just my opinion though.
Warbreezy - January 14, 2012
Personally
I’m much more interested in a Henderson vs. Rogerio rematch than I am in Hendo fighting Jones or Rashad.
ElliotMatheny - January 12, 2012
“knowing the UFC’s history of dealing with fighters who turn down fights, it probably wasn’t a great career decision”
Lyoto would disagree.
Kenya_MMA - January 12, 2012
Nice
RECE ROCK - January 13, 2012 via mobile
Hendo is ducking Rogerio.
He was handled easily by Rogerio last time, so now he’s obviously scared of losing again and missing out on a title shot and a big payday.
Rogerio absolutely deserves to be fighting established stars in the UFC. He obviously hasn’t got the recognition he deserves by the casual fans in the US. Bouts with Forrest and Rashad would’ve helped, but neither of those eventuated (Rashad also turned down a fight with him).
Rogerio is definitely a true warrior and is again doing the UFC a solid, by stepping up to the plate against Gustafsson on his home turf. Trust me, Alexander is a much tougher opponent than Hendo (as was Davis) and he gains a lot less from taking the fight. Rogerio deserves a lot of respect for taking on that fight and I hope the UFC throws him some extra cash for doing so.
Hendo on the other hand…. well, he’s just running scared from a fighter who beat him easily when they last fought.
Mad-Dog - January 12, 2012
hendo turns down fights. bad move.
SKK BB - January 12, 2012
Dan deserves the shot at Jones
He shouldn’t have to fight anyone else.
Lee Payton - January 13, 2012
He didn't even really win his last fight
Dan can wait to get beat up.
discoandherpes - January 13, 2012
I actually wanted to see Hendo v Lil Nog,
but they should have waited until after the Rashad/Davis fight to offer it up. It doesn’t make sense for Hendo to take this fight, and then Rashad loses or gets hurt, and Phil Davis is fighting for the title instead.
dpk875 - January 13, 2012
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