UFC 100 Preview: Bisping VS Henderson

This weekend at UFC 100, the coaches of the Ultimate Fighter season 9 will finally fight. Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping are worlds apart from each other both literally and figuratively. Bisping is the brash and cocky young Englishman while Henderson is the moderate American veteran. To help you catch up to speed, I’m gonna go through the hype for the fight and break it down so you know what’s up.

Michael Bisping - Image: Zuma Press

First let’s look at Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson. He started out as a wrestler and represented the US in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics (something the UFC didn’t push much, a bit strange considering it made him the perfect guy to coach Team USA on the Ultimate Fighter). One year after his last Olympic bid he started competing in mixed martial arts and a year after that he was in the UFC. But money was better in Japan so that’s where he went and that’s where he stayed for nearly a decade, fighting a long list of impressive guys like Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (twice), Wanderlei Silva (twice), Renzo Gracie, and Vitor Belfort. Most recently he defeated Rich Franklin at UFC 93.

Michael Bisping’s career started in 2004 but has been very explosive – it started with a 10 win streak in regional UK shows that drew the UFC’s eye. Just a year after his career started, he was drafted into the third season of the Ultimate Fighter, which he won easily. His only career defeat was a shifty split decision loss to Rashad Evans, but with his biggest wins coming over Chris Leben and Matt Hamill, he hasn’t seen a shadow of the competition Dan Henderson has seen.

But while experience is an advantage for Dan, age may be a disadvantage. Hendo is 38 years old to Bisping’s 30, and he wouldn’t be the first old legend to fall to a hungry up and comer lately – Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, and Mirko Crocop can attest to that.

While Henderson’s bread and butter is in his ground control, he’s got knockout power and is perfectly willing to stay on the feet. Still, that’s where Bisping has his best chance of winning this fight – while he’s not known for seperating his opponents from their consciousness, he’s freaking fast and accurate. If things go to the ground he could be in trouble, but he’s also shown an almost Chuck Liddell style ability to get right back up to his feet when that happens.

So who’s going to win? MMA Math points to Dan Henderson – he’s already beaten so many amazing fighters that Bisping seems barely worthy to hold his jockstrap. And while both guys are well rounded, Henderson edges Bisping on wrestling, submission offense and defense, and knockout power. While Bisping has better technical standup, that advantage disappears when Dan comes close enough to clinch, another area he excels in. But even with all logic pointing to Hendo, I still have a strange gut feeling that Michael Bisping will drag this fight to a decision and win on the judge’s scorecards. But I probably listen to my gut too much, and it gets me in trouble. Now it’s telling me to eat an entire box of Oreo cookies. If only I was able to ignore it’s gurgling siren song…