Bisping gets desired Henderson rematch for first title defense
On the night of UFC 200, the organization confirmed a rematch of a memorable UFC 100 bout that will be booked for the middleweight title later this year.
Middleweight champion Michael Bisping will make the first defense of his belt against Dan Henderson, who flattened Bisping with a one-punch knockout on the historic card in 2009.
UFC president Dana White said the match is not officially booked for a venue or date, but he hopes to schedule it for a possible October card in Bisping’s former hometown of Manchester, England.
Bisping, who now lives in Southern California, took the belt from Luke Rockhold by knocking him out in the first round on a card in Los Angeles in June.
He had hoped to get a chance to defend it against Henderson, who knocked out Hector Lombard on that same card, even though Henderson isn’t among the top contenders and is 2-3 in his last five fights.
Bisping got his wish, learning the belt has powers.
“We’re going to do Dan Henderson vs. Michael Bisping,” White said on Fox Sports 1. “It’s a fight that the champ wants. It’s a fight that the fans want.”
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj