Dan Henderson: Suddenly in the driver's seat in UFC negotiations
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 2:41 PM EST
68 comments
via assets.heavy.com
As I wrote today at Heavy.com,Dana's car and his promotion are a bit of a wreck right now. The UFC is having some major issues keeping main event fighters healthy and happy. They lost Silva, GSP and Machida through injury-them's the breaks. But some other guys are dropping out for some odd reasons.
First they lose Rampage Jackson, in the midst of the most watched season of The Ultimate Fighterever, a season designed to push his fight with Rashad Evans. Rampage wanted to fulfill a childhood dream (and make mad scrilla) as the star of the new A-Team remake. His fight with Evans was postponed, then after a Dana White diss session, straight up cancelled as Rampage announced he wasn't coming back at all.
Meanwhile, Dan Henderson, the former Olympian who decisively shut the mouth of the voluble Brit Michael Bisping is in the midst of a holdout. Henderson, at 39, has never been hotter. After a high profile coaching gig on The Ultimate Fighter9, Henderson knocked out Bisping in a highlight worthy fashion, then delivered an extra shot for good measure. It was the most memorable moment at UFC 100 that didn't involve Brock Lesnar promising to hump Sable. It was also Henderson's last contracted UFC fight - and he wants a million dollar signing bonus to re up. Dana White doesn't drive a Ferrari F430 because he likes to give his money away, so that didn't happen. Scratch headliner number two.
And then you have Brock. The UFC's biggest star, the heavyweight champion of the world, and the victim of the kissing disease? As Heavy.com was first to report, Lesnar, who was scratched from UFC 106 this month because of an illness, has still not started training. Word finally came out yesterday that he has mononucleosis, a disease that can keep even the toughest man sidelined for two months.
All of the turmoil leaves Henderson sitting pretty. He is waiting at home for the UFC to call. And if guys keep dropping like flies, they will have no choice but to give in to his demands. Henderson has the added bonus of being able to fight in two weight classes competitively. If you need to slot him in, for the right price, he is good to go.
The FanPosts are solely the subjective opinions of Bloody Elbow readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bloody Elbow editors or staff.
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One major aspect is the numbers for the Strikeforce show. If a big national audience sees Gegard Mousasi annihilate Soko, then Henderson v. Mousasi becomes a golden matchup and Strikeforce might pony up some dough. But, I can’t really see it playing out…
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 2:50 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Exactly. If the Strikeforce show does great numbers (7 mil+) then Henderson and the UFC to come to terms quickly.
If that is the case, If (when) Mousasi beats Soko, my recommendation to Hendo would be to have an old fashioned face off with him in the center of the cage.
by nottheface on Nov 5, 2009 3:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
“If the Strikeforce show does great numbers (7 mil+) then I would expect to see Henderson and the UFC come to terms quickly”
How did I manage to delete that?
by nottheface on Nov 5, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
like that idea for Hendo
face off = fat check? yes please.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 3:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
but it does also hinge upon the Strikeforce show doing monster numbers
…which certainly isn’t a given
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 3:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Can one of the cornermen please feed him the Nielsen ratings right after the bell rings.
“What? Holy shit, it’s doing a 3+! OK, it’s showtime!”
by nottheface on Nov 5, 2009 3:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’ve always thought Ken Shamrock was backstage monitoring the Griffin/Bonnar fight and saw that it was going to be huge, and decided not to have a “gameday injury” that would avoid his Rich Franklin-induced destruction.
Does the Kimbo fight disprove this? Fuck if I know, I’m just rambling
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 3:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
How will Strikeforce doing well turn Henderson into a draw? He has zero charisma and is 3-2 in his last five fights. I can’t imagine either side wanting to break the bank for that.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 3:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Come on man, they will have two names upon which to build another CBS show, without needing Gina. Aside from that certain hot fighter chick, Henderson is a bigger “name” than anybody on the Strikeforce roster, Fedor included. Him versus a guy that a potentially large national audience just saw execute a masterful destruction of Soko is about the best thing that could happen to SF, outside of people gravitating to Fedor.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 3:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Exactly. Besides Hendo doesn’t even need to be a big draw to benefit from this scenario:
1) If the card is a big hit, they will need a legitimate challenger for Gegard. Hendo wins the job because he is basically the only man available and CBS will probably be willing to overpay – because they have to.
2) The UFC will end up settling, not only because they need Hendo to fill out their cards but more importantly because they can’t risk letting Strikeforce build any momentum.
by nottheface on Nov 5, 2009 3:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I have to disagree
See Arlovski, Andrei.
They wanted to keep Arlovski just like they want to keep Hendo but they look at how many fans are tuning in to watch you fight and then how much you want.
They are not gonna overpay to keep Hendo. If this was a Couture, Liddell, Lesnar than yes but Hendo? No chance.
Look at how weak the hw division was when Arlovski left basically Nog, Mir, Lesnar, Herring,Werdum Kongo and that’s pretty much it. Carwin wasnt big yet. Neither was Cain or Dos Santos. No Couture or Cro Cop. And yet they still chose to let Arlovski walk rather than overpay him.
by bigdmmafan on Nov 5, 2009 3:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Again, this all depends on ratings being really, really good. If that is the case then it is a different ball game when Arlovski left. Affliction Entertainment was a small company, trying to compete in the PPV market. They were not going to grab a lot of attention.
Strikeforce on the other hand is backed by CBS (Sure CBS is not putting much money into them now, but that could change if they see big ratings) and as such, could make a much bigger impact. In fact the danger would be not only Strikforce drawing a large audience, but bringing in new fans who will have an allegiance with Strikeforce over the UFC.
Everything is dependent on Strikeforce bringing in BIG ratings. If not, disregard the above satements.
by nottheface on Nov 5, 2009 4:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Everything is dependent on Strikeforce bringing in BIG ratings. If not, disregard the above satements.
yep
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Here’s what I’m thinking: The MMA climate has changed drastically since Arlovski’s last fight in the UFC (early 2008). In that year-and-a-half, the UFC has exploded into the public consciousness, even if it isn’t “mainstream” yet. So, the fighters have a much higher profile than when AA left the big stage; Hendo is among them. Add to that his thermonuclear knockout on the biggest MMA card of all time, coming off a season of TUF (and think about UFC 100—1.6 million buys, maybe about 3 million people watched it live, and probably north of 5 million people have seen it since).
Whether or not he’s a Couture, Liddel, etc. (he isn’t) he definitely has a higher profile than AA and has a higher profile at the most ripe point in the history of MMA. It’s hard to gauge his drawing power since he hasn’t fought since his greatest UFC moment, but it’s undoubtedly in the top 10th of UFC fighters (but not top 3% or so). Signing him would allow Strikeforce to capitalize off his momentum and their momentum—presuming Mousasi wrecks Soko in front of a gigantic audience.
So while it wouldn’t directly/immediately hurt the UFC, I don’t think they’d want the Strikeforce snowball to get any bigger even if it’s just marginal growth. It moves the needle up on Hendo’s contract, which won’t be collosal, but will get a little juicier.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 4:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
dammit, I hate writing walls of text.. sry
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 4:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Henderson is not a name, tho. He is to hardcore fans, and that’s about it. I can’t see any way, regardless of Strikeforce ratings, that anyone would want to dump a ton of cash onto an uncharismatic 39 year old with no drawing power, who is just looking for a big payday to retire on.
I would image both the UFC and Strikeforce would rather invest in their future than shell out a heap of money for a Henderson.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 5:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Do you think TUF and UFC 100 did nothing for him? The knockout was on Sportscenter top 10 plays that night, for crying out loud. This would be Strikeforce investing in it’s future—creating a homegrown star in Mousasi.
But, it’s all for nought down the road anyways since Mousasi will end up in the UFC, I’m just thinking over the course of the next year.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 5:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
To the casual fan he went from unknown to “the guy that KO the British guy” and back down to unknown. TUF did nothing for him, IMO, and UFC100 gave him a boost which he has since destroyed.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 6:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
How can you be so sure? He hasn’t appeared on any UFC broadcasts since 100. At this point, we can only speculate as to whether Henderson’s drawing power improved, or not, or improved for a while and then went back down again.
by JRN on Nov 5, 2009 11:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I think the fact that we would have to speculate is reason enough.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 6, 2009 12:20 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, broooooo.
by JRN on Nov 6, 2009 11:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Wait...
The absence of absinthe is evidence of what?
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 7, 2009 11:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Obviously Strikeforce would love to have Dan, but is it worth what he appears to be asking for? I think Dan is at very least worth much more to CBS than to the UFC, as Olympic wrestling credentials may mean more in marketing him to a CBS audience than a UFC audience. You have to assume that CBS won’t be happy just getting 2-3 million viewers in primetime. They need more than that. They need proof that Strikeforce is growing, and I’m assuming that to a network executive who knows zip about MMA, an Olympic wrestler whose one of the greats of the sport probably sounds better than a stoic Russian guy whose regarded as the greatest heavyweight of all time, but isn’t interested in doing the media dance. I guess the question is, does Strikeforce hope to grow steadily and modestly, maintaining a semblence of a reasonable balance sheet, and somehow hang around long enough to really challenge the UFC? Or are they going to really try to cash in by leaps and bounds now that they’ve put so much into Fedor, and just go all out, hoping that they explode with the network deal? If it’s the latter, then they better make Hendo a pretty fat offer. Still, if he really wants a million upfront or something, that’s just madness.
by Kwisatz Haderach on Nov 6, 2009 2:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Disagree
Henderson has never been a draw. So while watching Henderson/Marquardt duke it out is a better fight than Ortiz/Griffin it’s not gonna draw a lot better or anything.
Plus I think if the UFC really begins to struggle they will look at other guys first. Liddell and Hughes are 2 that come to mind. Plus Franklin hasnt fought since 103.
Henderson has a few options. Take what the UFC is offering, go to Strikeforce, or go the Ortiz/Couture route and sit out over a year badmouthing the UFC only to return when you realize the UFC can offer the most money.
by bigdmmafan on Nov 5, 2009 2:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
“Plus Franklin hasnt fought since 103”…..lol’d
by fedorade on Nov 5, 2009 9:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Henderson has no value
Rampage and Henderson are not really a huge loss to the UFC. These two are both Pride guys, and the UFC made their name and fame without them.
Henderson has no monetary value to the UFC, and while I would love to see Rashad beat the crap out of Rampage, let’s face it – Rampage is one of the old school guys on their way out anyway. The future belongs to the up and comers.
In short – if Henderson is in the drivers seat, then he got in the wrong car.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 3:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
He’s not in a car. He’s got two dealers pitching him their best price. And one of them suddenly needs to move more cars. Can’t hurt him!
/car dealer analogy
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
But he wants a Ford who wants to be paid like a Ferrari.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 3:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
He’s like a salesman that wants a higher percentager of the cut. :)
Henderson is of the opinion that TUF and UFC 100 have increased his value dramatically. And that the fighters generally are underpaid.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’ll agree that most fighters are underpaid (tho that could be remedied by the upper tier fighters handing over part of their paychecks), but I disagree with Dan about his current value.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 3:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
LOL, why would you even think it would be fair to ask higher paid fighters to write a check to others that make less?
by Dropkick434 on Nov 5, 2009 7:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ya kinda missed my point there
Try again.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 5, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ya kinda didn't make a point
Other than the fighters should be happy with whatever crumbs they’re thrown.
Ricky Hatton came closer to beating Manny Pacquiao than Marquez did to beating Floyd.
-SC
by The Lethal Haze on Nov 5, 2009 11:36 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Wow, not even close to anything I said. Good job!
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 6, 2009 12:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
"tho that could be remedied by the upper tier fighters handing over part of their paychecks"
No I don’t think I missed the point.
by Dropkick434 on Nov 6, 2009 1:18 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’ll agree that most fighters are underpaid (tho that could be remedied by the upper tier fighters handing over part of their paychecks), but I disagree with Dan about his current value.
Yeah, ya did.
"Why am I here? Why does my mind have wings? Why do blue midgets hit me with fish?!" - The Tick
by mythbuster on Nov 6, 2009 2:14 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Hughes isn’t fighting until next year. Liddell is a guy they’d like to see retire. Even if they both come back, there are still tons of holes to fill. It gives Henderson leverage that wasn’t there a month ago.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
There’s not a ton of holes too fill. Right now the UFC has had a bad case of injuries but lets say they added Hendo/Nate which is the only obvious match since Silva is out to 106, 107, 108, 109 does it increase the buyrate by a whole bunch? No.
Now why would they take a guy like Hughes, Franklin, or Liddell over Henderson because a guy like a Liddell is a proven draw and you have contracts are alreasdy worked out with him.
So you either go with a guy like Liddell because even Dana said he would rather let Chuck fight then lose him and we all know Liddell wants to fight again or you overpay Hendo to what please the hardcorde fan base because the PPV numbers (outside 100) have proven the casual fans dont care about Dan Henderson.
by bigdmmafan on Nov 5, 2009 3:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The people who book UFC cards are sure feeling like there are a ton of holes. There are two fights that need to be heavy hitters on every UFC show. There are a limited number of fighters capable of filling those slots. Every one of them that hits the IR is music to Dan’s ears.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ok here is my point. A lot of fights to the hardcore fans are not “heavy hitter fights” but if you give in to Hendo’s demands it doesnt help you.
Would Hendo/Nate make a better buyrate for 107 if it replace Mir/Kongo. How about on 108 if it replaced T. Silva/Evans or Cain/Nog?
So that is why you wont see the UFC cave in. Because were Hendo/Nate maybe a 10x better fight than Cro Cop/Big Ben it doesnt translate to PPV buys and we all know that is the only thing that concerns the UFC.
by bigdmmafan on Nov 5, 2009 3:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
if they did cro cop vs liddell instead of cro cop vs rothwell they'd be fine in my opinion..
that would sell a lot more than hendo vs nate.
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 5, 2009 3:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
and get liddell killed...
cro cop is no world beater, but you put any striker in with liddell right now and it doesn’t look good.
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
by rockied on Nov 5, 2009 6:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Liddell just wants one more fight..
why not have that as his farewell fight?
People would love to see two legends going at it.. instead they’re giving us a legend vs…. rothwell? man..
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 5, 2009 9:15 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
You don't believe that, do you?
Say he wins.. You think he’s packing it in? No chance.
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 5, 2009 11:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
well he only has one fight left in his contract..
so, there’s a huge chance that Dana and the guys wouldn’t sign him again.. but yes, if he won his next fight, especially if it was against a huge name like Mirko, i doubt Chuck would want to call it quits..
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 6, 2009 2:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
you really think theres a HUGE chance the ufc wont sign lidell back. Dana has said chuck will be with the ufc forever.
by JaTinkles on Nov 6, 2009 3:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
WITH the UFC, not “fighting” for the UFC forever…
dana would probably give him a job promoting the sport, like Ratner..
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 7, 2009 5:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
If the UFC don't sign him
And Chuck feels like he can still fight, he’ll go fight somewhere else, and the Dana definitely doesn’t want that.
by hlebtasic on Nov 7, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Ehh
I’m not sure so…ultimately it depends on how much Henderson is asking for…the only ‘star’ so to speak that’s on the outs is Rampage….the others like GSP, Machida, Silva, and Lesnar…will be back early 2010….(unless Lesnar can’t get over the mono)…paying Henderson more than he’s worth isn’t in the UFC’s best interest…I’m sure they feel they just need to weather this mini storm and they’ll be back on track in 2010…not to mention that with all of the bad breaks they’ve caught in late 2009…it’s still a record setting year by far…
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by Kelvin Hunt on Nov 5, 2009 3:28 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
At what point does the fan backlash come into play? There are very real fears internally that putting out subpar shows will lead to fans choosing only to buy the few major shows a year. They are finding booking 12 PPVs worthy of the name a real challenge.
Of course, Henderson’s worth is a matter of much debate. Certainly there is a good case that the fighters are underpaid based on revenue generated. Dan’s deal wouldn’t be earth shattering…but it might be more than they want to pay mid-level talent.
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
That is a valid point. They need to be careful not to put out constant subpar shows or the fans will say f’ you and only buy a select few. It’s happening right now with the WWE where outside of the Royal Rumble’s, Summerslam’s, and Wrestlemania’s fans are not buying their PPV’s.
I look at Henderson a lot like the Arlovski situation a few years back when Arlovski left. The UFC knew he was talented and at the time the UFC hw division was very weak but yet they were still willing to let him leave because the amount of money he wanted and the amount of fans that wanted to see him fight were way off and so they chose to let him walk rather than overpay and I think it’s the same thing with Hendo.
by bigdmmafan on Nov 5, 2009 3:51 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
But they also know there are 300-350K people who will buy a PPV even if it’s headlined by two nobodies so they can keep holding out on Hendo until his price comes back down to earth.
by ufc4 on Nov 5, 2009 3:54 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
They know that now. How long will people pay for the same kind of show they are getting for free on SPIKE and elsewhere though? Part of what drives UFC PPV business is the perception that you will get a good card everytime. What happens when that idea is killed by a string of poor shows?
by JonathanSnowden on Nov 5, 2009 3:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
The UFC has the best fighters in the world, even if there aren’t big names at the top it will still be a good show. Some people tune in to see fights and not names. I think the last year or so has shown that some of the cards with the least amount of hype produce the best fights.
by ufc4 on Nov 5, 2009 4:24 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
This is true
But I’m definitely on the page that says the UFC shouldn’t be increasing the number of PPVs. Otherwise even some of those 300-350K will stop buying the crappier PPVs.
by rainmaker6 on Nov 6, 2009 6:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Poor shows are often called as such after the fact by the quality of the actual fight, not the names involved. The names get people to watch the first time, the quality of the fights brings them back. Long as there isn’t a string of stinker decisionfests then they should be fine to weather the storm.
A man should never waste an opportunity to keep his mouth shut.
by iiowyn on Nov 6, 2009 2:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Im pretty sure Hendo was hottest when he held two titles in PRIDE
by HighNoon on Nov 5, 2009 4:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
not to an american audience
"All I guarantee is violence" - Wand
by rockied on Nov 5, 2009 6:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
People really need to stop with this end of the world nonsense when it comes to the UFC, guys have been injured and are off the next couple of cards meanwhile the world keeps spinning. And the UFC keeps making millions, oh and one more thing Hendo has no leverage because he’s not a draw outside the UFC just like most fighters.
Instead of this constand crying about everything having do with things outside of the cage, why don’t we actually focus on what’s going on inside the octagon. It’s incredible to think how spoiled most hardcore fans are so it’s no wonder that they’re opinions must be meaningless to the UFC because of it.
by Raker on Nov 5, 2009 4:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
The suspense
Is the UFC going to makes tons of money, or shit-tons of money?
"I’m sorry. I didn’t drink last night, so I’m not funny today."
-Sakuraba
by Blackout612 on Nov 5, 2009 5:36 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
haha
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Robert Downey Sr. on Nov 5, 2009 5:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
How exciting!!!!
I can’t wait to find out !!!
by ufc4 on Nov 5, 2009 10:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions 0 recs
It’ll be interesting. I don’t think the UFC is too worried at present. I think it shows you how far they’ve come- if this happened five years ago they’d be in real trouble, but right now their position is still pretty good regardless of some setbacks. But just for fun, lets go with some rampant speculation!
Hendo signs with Strikeforce. He would have a very good chance of becoming their middleweight champ. Let’s say Vitor Belfort then suddenly manages to catch Silva with his very fast hands and knocks him out. Then you’d have a situation where the Strikeforce champion would have previously won a UD over the UFC champ. It’d give them a pretty big credibility boost.
But that’s all rampant speculation, and my bet is that none of that happens and Hendo stays with the UFC., and the UFC keeps rolling on unconcerned…
by TLow on Nov 6, 2009 1:15 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
Dana’s just busy pretending he is washing his hands of Hendo. I think the Fritas will soon decide they dont want strikeforce to have any more momentum. Hendo is a great card filler for the UFC. And since they’ve already given Hendo loads of face time I think the boys will conclude a little insurance money to spite strikeforce is money well spent. But it’s still up o Dan to pull his head out and realize that he’s not going to get everything he wants.
by naturalist on Nov 6, 2009 2:43 AM EST reply actions 0 recs
wrong on every level… Dan Henderson doesnt solve any problem. Do you think Zuffa is gonna fuck up its whole pay structure to get Dan Henderson? NO. Dana will be a happy camper if Strikeforce/showtime exhausts their budget on a Dan Henderson.
Showtime will not go away until they start spending some serious money and this is the start.
Zuffa may be the giant here but Zuffa is very good at trench/insurgent warfare.
If Zuffa can get them to start offering what they offered Tito to guys like Dan henderson – and Im afraid they’ll have to in order for it to make sense for Dan – it’s nothing but sunshine for Dana and co.
by mmalogic on Nov 6, 2009 3:16 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
I agree..
Dan Henderson won’t solve their match up problems because of the numerous injuries. He’s one guy, and he’s not even a draw..
Hendo didn’t land in the driver seat just because some UFC fighters got injured, cause whatever happens, the UFC won’t pay him the big bucks because they don’t think he’s worth it..
by Anton Tabuena on Nov 6, 2009 4:23 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Yeah, the only slight factor would have been the New Years eve show… and now that’s pretty much too late.
The problem Zuffa has after NYE is having too many fighters ready at the same time. Dan Henderson solves nothing.
by mmalogic on Nov 6, 2009 11:31 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
“Showtime will not go away until they start spending some serious money and this is the start”
I’m not sure what you mean. My point is simply that Zuffa will be the highest bidder here and that’s why Hendo’s next fight will be in the UCF. Dana is in fact pretending to be done with him cause it’s his best card to play while Hedo shops the market. Hendo isn’t likely get an offer that is better that Dana’s but in te off chance that he does you can be sure dana will sweeten his accordingly.
by naturalist on Nov 7, 2009 2:53 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
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