It turns out Michael Bisping will get his wish after all.
The UFC middleweight champion’s first title defence will be against MMA legend Dan Henderson in a rematch he has wanted since Henderson knocked him out at UFC 100 back in 2009.
The bout hasn’t been officially signed and a date and venue have yet to be determined, but UFC president Dana White confirmed the news on FOX Sports 1’s UFC 200 post-fight show that’s what the UFC is targeting.
White said the organization is looking at potentially holding the fight later this year in Bisping’s hometown of Manchester, England.
Henderson’s knockout of Bisping is one of the most memorable in UFC history and something that has been eating at Bisping for years.
Bisping became champion last month at UFC 199 when he knocked out Luke Rockhold. On that same card, Henderson KO’d Hector Lombard and the idea of a rematch between the two popular veterans gained popularity. Following his win over Lombard, Henderson mulled the idea that it might have been his last fight but he did mention he’d be open to another fight with Bisping.
Henderson, 45, is the oldest fighter currently on the UFC roster and the No. 13-ranked middleweight contender. He is 3-6 since 2013, so when talk of this potential matchup was brought up it received some criticism. Based on the merit of what he has done in his recent career, Henderson doesn’t deserve a title shot. A rematch with Rockhold or possible fights with Chris Weidman or Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza were thought to be the top three options for Bisping.
