For complete results and recap of all the night's action click here and here.
Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Henderson," which went down last night (July 30, 2011) at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, was seen by 8,311 fans at the arena for a $638,470 live gate. The official numbers are expected to be released in the coming days but the current numbers would mean this was the third most attended show so far this year.
One of the most important fights in women's MMA history occurred last night (July 30, 2011) in the co-main event of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois as Miesha Tate challenged Marloes Coenen for her Strikeforce women's bantamweight title.
Both women knew the importance of the fight. It had been given significant exposure and unprecedented placement directly before one of the most anticipated fights of the year. They needed to deliver with the amount of eyes that were on the fight.
Did it live up to the hype?
As has been mentioned earlier, the conclusion was certainly fantastic, but the set-up wasn't exactly thrilling.
We'll walk you through Tate's upset special and where both talented ladies go from here.
Miesha Tate got her blueprint for victory from Liz Carmouche at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson this past March. In that fight, the ex-marine repeatedly took Coenen down, passed her guard and dropped some ground and pound.
After repeated clinch attempts, Tate finally scored a takedown in the first round but had to fend off a pretty nasty guillotine attempt from the champion. She survived by passing to side control, but mainly worked the positional dominance game
Coenen bounced back in the second, reversing an attempt from Tate to take the fight to the ground and immediately latching onto Tate's back but she couldn't threaten with anything significant despite having over three and a half minutes to work.
"Takedown" Tate got back to work in the third, putting Coenen on her back repeatedly but she was stood up due to lack of activity on the ground. Maybe her secret plan was to lure the champion into a false sense of security because Coenen never saw the fourth round finish coming.
With Tate again using her wrestling to put "The Golden Girl of Golden Glory" on the canvas, she quickly passed to side control. Coenen seemed more concerned with defending the mount than any submission attempt. Tate put her in the "knee on belly" position but instead of attempting to pass to mount, she isolated an arm, locked up an arm triangle and slipped all the way over into side control on the opposite side with a surprising choke attempt.
Coenen was completely caught off guard and didn't even have the space to grab her own leg to defend the choke, being quickly forced to tap out and relinquish her title or be rendered unconscious. It was the first time the Dutch fighter had been submitted in her 10 year MMA career.
For Marloes Coenen, she was completely devastated. The now ex-champ stated that she had been arrogant and overconfident on the ground, never expecting the submission from Tate. She repeatedly stated that she wants her belt back and the likely best plan of action would be to square off against undercard winner Alexis Davis, one of the more promising 135 pound females in the promotion.
For Miesha Tate, congratulations are in order. She had stated before the fight that to submit Coenen would be her dream, the ultimate victory, and she pulled it off. It was totally unexpected and those are the victories that are the sweetest. Former champion Sarah Kaufman is next in line.
Tate was limping pretty heavily at the post-fight press conference so she could be sidelined for a while depending on the severity of her injury. When she does return, she will have an opportunity to avenge one of her few career losses against Kaufman, who destroyed Liz Carmouche last week on the Strikeforce Challengers show to earn a shot to reclaim her belt. In the meantime,
So what do you think Maniacs?
Was the thrilling finish enough to make up for a mediocre first three rounds? With "Cyborg" Santos without any future prospects and Gina Carano off doing who knows what, is Miesha Tate the new face of women's MMA?
Sound off!
Hear from Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker after the jump.
It was a real life "Clash of the Titans" last night (July 30, 2011) when legends of the sport Dan Henderson and Fedor Emelianenko battled in one of the wildest fights of the year in the headlining fight of Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson.
The expectations were incredibly high, and boy, did both men deliver.
In one of of the biggest swings of momentum you'll ever see in an MMA fight, Henderson went from being on the ropes to dethroning "The Last Emperer" with a classic right hand.
How did it happen? What set it up?
Our special analysis and fallout of the fight is after the jump.
Less than two seconds after the fight began, the Russian brawler was already swinging for the fences, which caught Henderson off guard. Both men exchanged big blows, rocking each other before taking a breather for a couple minutes along the fence with Henderson being the aggressor on the inside, throwing multiple knees to Emelianenko's legs.
After they reset, Fedor utilized his speed and connected with repeated strikes that had the current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion in trouble. After another big blow connected, Henderson went down and Fedor swarmed him with ground and pound, overaggressively going for the finish just like the Fabricio Werdum fight.
Henderson defended himself, clutched a leg and in an incredibly slick transition, slipped behind "The Last Emperer" and threw a massive uppercut that snuck past the Russian's arms and blasted his exposed face, all in a matter of one second.
Emelianenko's reaction was something no one had ever seen in his entire career, going completely limp, temporarily out cold from a "Dangerous Dan" patented right hand and with some follow up ground and pound, referee Herb Dean was forced to put a halt to the action, giving Henderson by far the biggest win of his already legendary careeer.
For Fedor Emelianenko, after a near ten year unbeaten streak, the beloved brawler has now lost three in a row, all by stoppage. He was mum on the retirement talk in the immediately post-fight fallout and at the press conference, stating that he'd talk it over with his people before making a hasty decision, but honestly, what does Strikeforce or anyone else do with the languishing legend?
At this point, there aren't many new possibilities in Strikeforce. There are a couple rematches that could be intriguing against Werdum or even Henderson as last night's fight was very entertaining and evenly-matched but Henderson would also like to defend his Strikeforce title. Fedor may be done with Strikeforce, even if he doesn't retire. He could be given a few "gimmes" against some lower-level M-1 heavyweights but is that really how he wants to be remembered? Perhaps the most intriguing fight of all would be a one-time deal with the UFC to welcome Brock Lesnar back to the promotion, but with the way M-1 negotiates, it's probably more likely that pigs fly.
For Dan Henderson, at 40 years old, he may be as highly ranked in the pound for pound lists as he has ever been in his career. He's now scored three incredible knockouts in a row, each one more impressive than the last. He's going to take a two week vacation and then it's time to negotiate a new contract. The victory over Emelianenko was the last fight on his Strikeforce deal that was scoring him $800,000 per fight. He will not be getting that again.
Expect Henderson, after signing a new deal, to potentially defend his belt against the Muhammed Lawal - Roger Gracie winner while the rest of the division continues to sort itself out. A super-fight against the UFC champion isn't out of the question either, but if Rashad Evans defeats Tito Ortiz this upcoming Saturday at UFC 133, the UFC will have no dearth of light heavyweight title challengers for the next six months. Henderson lastly didn't rule out another heavyweight fight, but he doesn't want to face the monsters of the division who have to cut weight to make 265. The future is full of possibilities for "Hendo."
So what do you think, Maniacs?
What did you think of Henderson's incredible comeback performance last night? Will Fedor fight again?
Sound off!
I'm a bit confused by the reaction to last nights (July 30) women's bantamweight title fight between Marloes Coenen and Miesha Tate.
I've heard jubilant cries of glee from fight fans both educated and not so enlightened. I've also seen a number of experts seemingly jumping for joy at both the result of the fight and the nature of the finish.
I don't get it ... at all.
The meat first: Tate defeated Coenen last night with a slick arm triangle submission in the fourth round, the very first time in the latter's career she had ever been forced to tap out.
Tate's technique was flawless, her swiftness impeccable and her timing perfect. She executed a masterful game plan and left Hoffman Estates, Illinois with an extra 12 or so pounds of championship gold.
That's the good stuff. It's how they got there where it gets ugly. Very, very ugly.
I'm not sure why this is the case but there seems to be a deep divide between those that enjoy women's MMA and those that do not. It's an exercise in extremes, as the proponents generally speak far too highly of it while the naysayers are typically far too negative.
There is a happy medium, folks.
However, perception is reality and Coenen vs. Tate was supposed to represent the last major chance the women had to convince those in power that they're worth their salt.
Of course it's not fair that they have to justify the very fact that they are earning a paycheck but last I checked, business is ruthless, at least for those that thrive in it.
And in the MMA business, that would be UFC President Dana White.
In the lead-up to this bout, Tate was very clear in her intention of what she wanted to do. She didn't just want to defeat Coenen, one of the top female fighters in the world today. She didn't just want to win the bantamweight championship. She wanted to convince White that his distaste for women's MMA is rooted in ignorance and if he just gave them the chance, they would prove how financial viable they can be.
Sorry to say it but if White was watching last night, that's the last thing he will think.
There is a certain brand of fighter and fighting style that White has always and will always hitch his promotional wagon to, and for good reason. He enjoys sloppy slugfests contested on the feet. This is no surprise considering his extensive boxing background.
But the bigger reason he enjoys such fights, and rewards those who deliver them accordingly, is because that's what fans want to see. You can enjoy smooth technique all you want but no one is paying for a pay-per-view because a promoter is saying,"Hey, trust me, you want to see this fight. These two have great technique and they will execute smart game plans."
Yawn.
What Miesha Tate did last night was the women's equivalent of what Jon Fitch does in the UFC. She went out and brilliantly imposed her will, keeping the pressure on at all times and never letting up with her relentless takedowns and top control.
Yes, she finished the fight with an incredibly slick submission. I'm certainly not taking anything away from her there and yes, Fitch hasn't finished a fight in god knows how long.
But the fact remains, this fight was absolutely dreadful up until that point. The live crowd seemed to have exploded when Coenen tapped out but that was all the noise they made throughout the previous three and a half rounds.
The truth of the matter is that this fight was not aesthetically pleasing and I fully anticipate that ratings dropped off considerably during the bout. It reminded me of the Jake Shields vs. Jason Miller fight that led into Fedor vs. Brett Rogers back in Nov. 2009.
The two middleweights engaged in a ground war that, to the trained eye, was a thrilling affair. But it was abysmal to most fans and they tuned out before ever making it to the big main event fight.
If that turns out to be the case here, that will be all the ammunition White needs to bring down the hammer on women's MMA at the soonest possible date. He's got a laundry list of other reasons to do so but this one will do.
It's a shame that her fighting style is so far from aesthetically pleasing because Tate is a relentless self-promoter and a rather perfect face for women's MMA, at least in Gina Carano's absence.
Her victory last night, however, will likely be short lived. The booking decisions being made by Strikeforce, such as cutting its heavyweight champion, leaving the welterweight title vacant, letting the contract of its light heavyweight champion run out and so on and so forth, lead on to believe the promotion is headed for a merger with UFC just as soon as things are cleared up with Showtime and that contract is fulfilled.
And then it's bye-bye women's MMA, at least under the Zuffa banner.
As great as Tate performed last night and as technically sound as the fight was on the whole, I doubt very much that anyone is going to miss it.
On a national scale, Abe Wagner and Joe Ellenberger tend to be known best for something other than their fighting accomplishments inside the cage. Wagner, being remembered as a "supporting" cast member on The Ultimate Figher (TUF) and Joe as the "other" Ellenberger.
At Victory Fighting Championship (VFC) 35 show at the Mid America Center in Iowa both fighters made it clear they want UFC matchmaker Joe Silva’s attention, again, by winning in two different, but impressive fashions.
Ellenberger (12-0) might be best known as the older (by a minute) brother of UFC rising star and VFC vet Jake Ellenberger. What most people don’t know is Joe was offered a UFC fight and had to turn it down because of a rare blood disease.
Fast forward two years, the doctors have him healthy, and he’s looking to get the belt he had to vacate back in his possession. Standing in his way was James Warfield (17-9), but Ellenberger wasn’t letting Warfield spoil his return and put on a clinic on ground control and aggression en route to a unanimous decision victory.
In the main event of the evening, Justin Grizzard (7-13) was looking to exploit Wagner’s (10-3) perceived lack of a ground game. Instead, it was Wagner who wasted no time using his striking to work his way inside to find a take down. Once they were on the ground, it was all Wagner as he worked positions to eventually take his back and win in the first round via rear naked choke.
The build up to the main events were packed with exciting fighters looking to work their way up the ranks. Vito Agosta (3-2) used powerhouse wrestling, like a one armed shoulder throw, to grind out a unanimous decision over Derek Rhodes (0-5).
Jacob Philbren (2-0) started the first round with devastating strikes and never quit throwing them, stopping Joe Baudler (1-2) in the first round, while Drew Dober (7-3) went at it with the hard hitting Sam Jackson(14-13) and at the final bell, had won a hard earned unanimous decision, most of which he fought with one eye almost swollen shut.
And making his pro debut, Mirsad Bektic (1-0) lived up to the hype by finishing Shane Hutchinson (4-9) with a swarm of ground and pound before the first round had met its half-way mark. The VFC always starts the night out by featuring the best amateur talent in the Midwest, and tonight was no exception.
The undercard result were as follows:
Nick Garrett (6-2) def. John Revord (1-5) via triangle choke Cody Rhinehart (2-1) def. Jimmy Rodgers (0-1) via strikes Heather Lambert (4-0) def. Sarah McLeod (3-3-1) via arm bar Nate Rodriguez (10-1) def. Jacob Keifer (6-1) via rear naked choke Tharron Ockenga (8-1) def. Corey Roberts via triangle Duane Johnson (4-0) def. Anthony Salazar (11-3) via rear naked choke
Fedor says he "definitely got hit but I don't believe I was out." The video of the ending sequence certainly betrays those words but Emelianenko isn't exactly an impartial observer here.
"The Last Emperor" is also greatly looking forward to heading back home to be with his new daughter. Does that mean he's retiring? Not sure yet but he'll likely make his decision in the next month or so.
His parting message to his loyal fans: "I'd like to say to all my fans to take care of each other. To be helpful to each other. To be faithful and to be good people. That's what I fight for and that's the message that I would like to say to them."
Like he usually does, Nick Diaz has caused quite a stir.
When the kid from Stockton bolted for the UFC for a monster fight against Georges St. Pierre, he left behind his Strikeforce welterweight championship, one the San Jose based promotion hasn't quite figured out what to do with.
Paul Daley vs. Tyron Woodley last night (July 30) in Hoffman Estates, Illinois was thought to determine one of the contenders to fight for said vacant title and apparently, it did.
But as it turns out, another fight from last night's event may have also determined the other half of that championship fight. Tarec Saffiedine pasted Scott Smith for three rounds and in the process likely earned himself both a rematch with Woodley and a 170-pound title shot.
Here's what Scott Coker said at the post-fight press conference:
"That's something that we're going to go back to the office and have a conversation internally. But I would think that Tyron and Tarec are going to be the frontrunners for that vacant title when it does happen."
It's a curious decision, if it does in fact come to be. After all, Woodley already handily defeated Saffiedine on Jan. 7 earlier this year.
And it's not like that fight was a barnburner.
Then again, the state of the Strikeforce title picture in every division is so muddled and wacky that it's not inconceivable that a new welterweight champion will never be crowned.
If they put together this fight, though, are you interested?
Props: Strikeforce (click the link to check out the complete gallery.
Will we ever see Fedor Emeliaenenko fight again? More from the main card participants after the jump.
For complete results and recap of all the night's action click here and here.
Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Henderson" from the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., has officially come to a close.
So too, has perhaps the legendary career of Fedor Emelianenko, who suffered his third straight defeat with a first round technical knockout loss to Dan Henderson. It was the first time ever in his illustrious career, 35 professional mixed martial arts (MMA) bouts, that the "Last Emperor" was finished via strikes.
If it is Emeliaenko's last appearance, the once-feared Russian went down in a blaze of glory.
He immediately came out aggressive, swinging for the fences the moment the fight started, but quickly retreated when 'Hendo" clipped him with a short inside hook. It was a furious and wild exchange to start the three-round, non-title "super fight" between the two former Pride FC champions.
The super-charged action then died down for a bit when the pair locked up against the fence for several minutes, but then just like that, it quickly picked right back up. Emelianenko unloaded a flurry of strikes that sent Henderson to the canvas, ducking for cover and looking for a way out fast.
The Greco Roman wrestler found it, slipping out the the back door to get behind Emelianenko, but before getting to his feet fully, Henderson uncorked a brutal uppercut from behind that made his opponent go limp. Henderson got in a few more shots, mostly to the back of the head, before the referee stepped in to save the fallen champion.
It was a surreal, thrilling sequence that will be remembered forever.
Emelianenko claimed that the stoppage was too soon, but replays show otherwise. He was out, and immediately after the stoppage, ringside announcer Frank Shamrock even compared his state to a "drunken monkey."
Perhaps the "controversial" claim will compel Emelianenko to give it one more shot before calling it quits, but with his contract with the Zuffa-owned promotion now expired, it may be under his M-1 Global banner.
Thanks for the memories.
Mainstream female MMA is/was on the chopping block with Zuffa's recent acquisition of Strikeforce, meaning that the co main event that featured 135-pound champion Marloes Coenen and number one contender Miesha Tate was under the microscope.
The lovely ladies turned in a technical performance for three rounds, with neither of them willing to make the costly mistake that could lead to a loss. Coenen worked her stand up and submissions, while Tate went for takedowns to leverage her superior wrestling skills.
It appeared those skills might have done Tate in when "Rumina" reversed a takedown and immediately transitioned it into a dangerous submission. She worked the postion, on the back of Tate, for the better part of the round, but "Takedown" avoided the finish and survived to see another one.
Did she ever.
In the fourth frame, the beginning of the "championship rounds," Tate demonstrated that she had what it took to assume the mantle of responsibility that comes along with being a female champion. She scored a takedown, set up an arm triangle choke, hopped over Coenen and squeezed her lights out en route to a quick tapout.
Tate showed resilience, talent and class in her winning performance. She looked pretty damn good doing it, too.
Tim Kennedy and Robbie Lawler squared off in a middleweight bout that likely had contender implications on the line. Both men dropped fights to reigning champion, Ronaldo Souza, and both of them likely wanted nothing more than the opportunity to exact revenge sooner rather than later.
So sorry, Robbie.
Kennedy came out aggressive and stayed that way for the entire 185-pound showdown. He slipped punches, countered and dove for takedowns early and often. Lawler seemed intent on avoiding the canvas at all costs, sprawling, brawling and exploding out of takedowns at every possible opportunity.
But the relentless, hard-charging attack of Kennedy was the ultimate decision maker. He didn't give up, despite getting busted up and eating a few a knuckle sandwiches. He pressed the action, while "Ruthless" bobbed and weaved, seemingly waiting, and waiting, and waiting some more, to land that one big shot.
It never came. And neither will that rematch with "Jacare."
Paul Daley, the striker, took on Tyron Woodley, the wrestler, in a pivotal 170-pound match up after division champion Nick Diaz recently vacated the belt and accepted a fight with UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre later this year. The winner would likely earn a shot to challenge for the up-for-grabs crown against, er, someone -- it's anyone's guess with the promotion's welterweight talent pool being so incredibly shallow at the moment.
With the exception of "T-Wood's" willingness to stand with "Semtex," and "Semtex's" solid defense of "T-Wood's" All-American-caliber takedowns to start the fight, it pretty much went as predicted … until the final 60 seconds, anyway. Woodley, who for the most part avoided the lethal lefts of the British knockout artist, implemented his gameplan to a tee. He dodged the big punches and took the bout to the ground to neutralize his opponent's biggest strength.
In fact, with the exception of an omoplata submission attempt in the waning seconds of the fight, of all things, Woodley was never in trouble. He dictated the pace of the bout pretty much from bell-to-bell to earn a very important unanimous decision.
Who's next? Who knows.
Scott Smith came into tonight riding back-to-back bad losses, including a body kick finish thanks to Cung Le and a crushing knockout courtesy of Paul Daley. "Hands of Steel," making just his second appearance at 170 pounds, needed another Hail Mary to steer himself out of a dangerous career skid.
Unfortunately, he ended up in a ditch. And he didn't even bareknuckle it.
Smith seemed to sleepwalk through the first two rounds, failing to demonstrate any sense of urgency. His opponent, Tarec Saffiedine, looked fresher, faster and hungrier throughout the entire 15-minute fight. In fact, he made it look easy.
"Sponge" battered Smith, who at times looked so slow it wouldn't be a surprise to learn later that he was sedated or sick, at essentially every twist and turn of the welterweight contest. Short elbows, creative kicks and an array of flashy strikes all found their marks and did bloody damage.
Not only were they enough to earn the Belgian fighter a very easy decision over Smith, but they also might have sent him packing. Three consecutive defeats is the death knell in Zuffa's Brave New MMA World. It would be a shock if Smith somehow survives it … even though his past experiences, win or lose, have to count for something.
Then again, maybe not.
That's a wrap from the "Windy City," Maniacs. Now it's time to share your thoughts on everything that went down tonight inside the cage.
Best and worst of tonight's action? Wil Fedor fight again? Does Women's MMA have a future?
For complete Strikeforce: "Fedor vs. Henderson" results and play-by-play coverage of the televised main card click here.
Last night (July 30, 2011), Dan Henderson knocked out Fedor Emelianenko in the first round of their main event fight inside the hexagon at a Showtime televised Strikeforce event.
And they were both reportedly paid handsomely for their efforts. "Hendo" earned a cool $800,000 while "The Last Emperor" raked in an incredible $1.5 million. That's a pretty penny, no matter who the two fighters are.
As it turns out, this bout represented the final fight in each mans respective contract, meaning it's either time to find a new mixed martial arts home, retire or enter into negotiations with Zuffa.
It's an interesting situation for both men. Fedor has lost every bit of his negotiating power now that he's lost his third fight in a row. Henderson, on the other hand, is as valuable as he's ever been, thanks to his just defeating a man widely considered the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time while holding the Strikeforce light heavyweight title.
His value may be even higher than it was following his astonishing knockout of Michael Bisping at UFC 100.
However, there are plenty of issues both fighters face in the coming months. Let's try to make a little sense of what could be to come.
Fedor Emelianenko:
Where can he possibly go from here? Is there still a place for him in the current landscape of MMA? That's debatable for a few reasons, the least of which being his three-fight losing streak.
The very fact that he's declined so rapidly in such a short amount of time has killed any negotiating power he once had, not to mention the aura and mystique that once surrounded him so.
During the post-fight press conference, Fedor said he's looking forward to heading back to Mother Russia to spend time with his new-born daughter.
At this point, he might want to make that a permanent vacation.
If it wasn't already clear that UFC President Dana White no longer has interest in dealing with Fedor and his management team, following Emelianenko's loss he immediately attacked him on Twitter and admonished those that questioned him for kicking a fighter while he's down.
And now that Zuffa purchased Strikeforce, there's very little hope in bringing back a fighter who hasn't won a fight since Nov. 2009 and has lost three straight, all finishes.
So if UFC and Strikeforce are both out of the picture, what does that leave?
It's possible he could end up in Japan, fighting for Dream but that seems unlikely for obvious reasons. BAMMA is beginning to make some noise in the U.K. but the list of heavyweights competing in that promotion reads like a blank piece of paper.
Essentially, the best play for Fedor seems to be for him to hang up the gloves and call it a career. There aren't many other options.
Speculation has run rampant that he's protesting the stoppage by Herb Dean in the hopes of setting up a big money rematch outside the confines of Zuffa, seeing as Henderson is also no longer under contract.
But let's just take that information for what it is -- a rumor.
Dan Henderson:
Talk about a big turnaround.
After Henderson knocked out Michael Bisping at UFC 100, he was soaring through the clouds, never to come down. Until, of course, the UFC played hardball at the bargaining table and he bolted for the greener pastures of Strikeforce.
The San Jose bosses immediately plugged him into a fight against Middleweight Champion Jake Shields, who had one foot out the door with just one fight remaining on his deal.
"Hendo" got the big marketing push and was featured heavily in every commercial in the build-up to the fight, totally at the expense of Shields. Except Henderson gassed -- bad -- come fight night and got his ass handed to him for four of five rounds.
Shields hauled ass to Las Vegas and the waiting arms of the UFC while "Hendo" jumped up a weight class to reinvent himself once again.
Did he ever.
Henderson proceeded to obliterate Renato Sobral to earn a shot at the 205-pound title before going on to blast past Rafael Cavalcante to take the championship for himself. Once it was determined there were no credible challengers, he moved up yet another weight class and soundly defeated the greatest heavyweight to ever live.
And so, once again, "Hollywood's" value is at its highest. That does not mean he's got any sort of leverage in his upcoming contract talks. Quite the opposite, in fact. He's basically at the whim of the Zuffa overlords.
That's because while Henderson was kicking ass and taking names in San Jose, Dana White and company were closing a deal to purchase Strikeforce and effectively take over the MMA world.
That means "Dangerous" Dan is right back where he started at just over two years ago. Riding high and feeling good but headed for a long game of hardball with some of the most ruthless sharks in the promotional waters of MMA.
Henderson has made it clear that he would like to return to Strikeforce to defend his light heavyweight title but he's not opposed to a unification match with whomever is the UFC champion whenever the prospective fight would be set up.
That's all well and good but if he's expecting to make anything close to the $800,000 he made to fight Fedor, he's dreaming.
However, suddenly there are plenty of interesting fights for Henderson back in the UFC. Maybe a rematch with Quinton Jackson, as their first bout was rather close and highly entertaining. Or possibly Lyoto Machida, who is currently in limbo for a bevy of reasons.
Forrest Griffin, Rashad Evans, hell, even Tito Ortiz. These are all intriguing fights that await Henderson if he can come to terms with the UFC.
If not? As noted previously in regards to Fedor, the marker is pretty bare. There's no question where all the top talent resides and if you want to be the biggest dog in the yard, you've got to find a way to jump the fence.
And thanks to his lack of options, it certainly looks like that will be the case with Henderson.
Of course, I could be wrong on all counts here. What do you think? Fedor retires and "Hendo" heads over to the UFC? Or Fedor fights exclusively for M-1 and Henderson re-ups with Strikeforce?
Give us a likely scenario, Maniacs. What's going to happen?
But who it he be matched up against? Is there another worthy fighter out there to challenge for the vacate Strikeforce welterweight championship?
But who it he be matched up against? Is there another worthy fighter out there to challenge for the vacate Strikeforce welterweight championship?
Freshly crowned Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate hits the town with her title wrapped firmly around her waist after winning it from Marloes Coenen with a fourth round submission last night at the "Fedor vs. Henderson" event in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Tate is expected to defend her title next against Sarah Kaufman, who defeated Liz Carmouche at Strikeforce Challengers 17 on July 22.
Freshly crowned Strikeforce Women's Bantamweight Champion Miesha Tate hits the town with her title wrapped firmly around her waist after winning it from Marloes Coenen with a fourth round submission last night at the "Fedor vs. Henderson" event in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Tate is expected to defend her title next against Sarah Kaufman, who defeated Liz Carmouche at Strikeforce Challengers 17 on July 22.
"I felt great about the stoppage. I felt that, had the ref not jumped in, I would have definitely not been moving off top of him and probably knocked him unconscious even more. I thought I was going to fight a three-round war with him. Obviously I would have liked to caught him like I did but I felt that he's going to be hard to knock out, he's a veteran that if he gets hurt, he's going to be able to recover like he did in the first flurry of the fight."
-- "Dangerous" Dan Henderson explains his side of the story on the perceived early stoppage in his main event fight against Fedor Emelianenko last night (July 30) at Strikeforce in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. As "Hendo" tells it, it wouldn't have mattered if referee Herb Dean had let the fight go on anyway, because he would have stayed busy throwing "H-Bombs" until "The Last Emperor" was even further down Queer Street. Henderson may have been expecting a three-round war but the pace of the battle from the opening bell dictated a much quicker -- and far more satisfying -- finish. That is, if you're on the side that thinks the stoppage was justified. Fedor certainly didn't but he's not exactly an impartial observer in all this. Anyone think if Dean let the fight continue Henderson would have just put Emelianenko to sleep anyway? Hear more from "Hollywood" after the jump.
"I felt great about the stoppage. I felt that, had the ref not jumped in, I would have definitely not been moving off top of him and probably knocked him unconscious even more. I thought I was going to fight a three-round war with him. Obviously I would have liked to caught him like I did but I felt that he's going to be hard to knock out, he's a veteran that if he gets hurt, he's going to be able to recover like he did in the first flurry of the fight."
-- "Dangerous" Dan Henderson explains his side of the story on the perceived early stoppage in his main event fight against Fedor Emelianenko last night (July 30) at Strikeforce in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. As "Hendo" tells it, it wouldn't have mattered if referee Herb Dean had let the fight go on anyway, because he would have stayed busy throwing "H-Bombs" until "The Last Emperor" was even further down Queer Street. Henderson may have been expecting a three-round war but the pace of the battle from the opening bell dictated a much quicker -- and far more satisfying -- finish. That is, if you're on the side that thinks the stoppage was justified. Fedor certainly didn't but he's not exactly an impartial observer in all this. Anyone think if Dean let the fight continue Henderson would have just put Emelianenko to sleep anyway? Hear more from "Hollywood" after the jump.