In the face of all the controversy surrounding Dan Henderson's status with the UFC, he tells Inside MMA that he expects his next two fights will probably be Nate Marquardt and Anderson Silva, although he is currently without a contract with any promotion.
(Inside MMA airs each Friday night on HDNet at 9 p.m. ET)
Dan Henderson joins MMA Live to discuss his contract status with the UFC and much more. In addition, a preview of WEC 43, a look back at DREAM.11 and The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights.
New Twitter devotee Rich Franklin relayed a curious thing Saturday morning: his re-match with Dan Henderson had been taken off the event description for UFC 103 on Sept. 19 in Dallas.
"Ive heard the ufc pulled my fight off the website for 103," tweeted Franklin. "I don't kno y. They hvnt spoken to me @ this, n i assume the fight is still on."
Grammar issues aside, the message seemed to be a red flag--the UFC was backing away from the match-up, which had drawn almost unanimous criticism from fans on internet sounding boards.
During a Friday radio appearance on ESPN 1100 for The Caring Place cancer support center, UFC president Dana White hinted there were more changes in store for the Dallas event.
"My job is to put on fights that the fans want to see," he chortled. "Hang, tight, stick around. Stay tuned."
Two things could lend credence to a new main event for UFC 103: White's make-up with Tito Ortiz, which he announced via a tweet on Friday, and the dearth of talent influx from Affliction's collapse the same day.
Is Franklin/Hendo II on ice? And is that a good thing?
Attendees Have First Chance at Numbered Series with Personalized Features, Packaging; Couture, 'Shogun,' Wanderlei Silva To Appear Live at Round 5 Booth
Mixed martial arts fans and other collectors attending UFC Fan Expo on Friday and Saturday at Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas will be first in line as Round 5 unveils its premiere "Limited Edition," individually numbered figurines, featuring MMA stars Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Dan Henderson. Available for the first time at the Round 5 booth (#427), the Rua collectible includes his signature Bad Boy Walk Out t-shirt while Henderson's comes with an American Flag, and both come in packaging that is distinct from the standard Series 4 issue, also debuting at Fan Expo.
Rua will also join Randy Couture and Wanderlei Silva at the booth as they meet fans and sign autographs during the two days. On Friday, "Shogun" will sign from 3 - 5 p.m., while Couture will be there from 6 - 7 p.m. On Saturday, Silva will be available from 2 - 3:30pm and "Shogun" from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Only 2,548 of the Limited Edition 'Shogun' and Henderson collectibles will ever be made, and just 252 - in numerical order beginning at Fan Expo opening at 10 a.m. on Friday - will be available each day at Expo.
"The UFC Fan Expo is a unique opportunity for us to connect with fans who have enjoyed the first three Series, and we're pleased to reward them with the advance availability of the Limited Edition and Series 4 as well as the meet-and-greets with three of our stars," said Damon Lau, Round 5 president.
The first shipments of Series 4, which includes "Shogun," Henderson, Gina Carano, Cung Le and Matt Serra, are going to Las Vegas. They are expected to be available at retail locations across North America and online at www.Round5MMA.com later this month or in early August.
Round 5 plans to release collectibles of two additional series of athletes later in 2009, one during each quarter. Athletes to be represented in those series are yet to be announced.
Michael Bisping talks about how he doesn't feel that Dan Henderson will give him too many problems in the Octagon at UFC 100, especially with his recent focus on wrestling.
Current UFC middleweight contender and former two-division PRIDE champion Dan Henderson will be the special guest on Friday's edition of Jim Rome is Burning on ESPN TV. Rome will be discussing the UFC 100 card with Henderson, who faces Michael Bisping in a highly-anticipated clash of Ultimate Fighter coaches. Tune in for the LIVE interview segment at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT on Friday June 26th.
UFC president Dana White presents the first installment of his UFC 93 blog. The newest episode follows Dana through England as he prepares for the filming of the new season of the "Ultimate Fighter" and much, much more.
Marc Ratner, Vice President of UFC Regulatory Affairs, is hard at work preparing for UFC 93 in Dublin, Ireland on Jan. 17. It's the UFC's second appearance on Irish soil. In the show's main event, Dan Henderson is scheduled to face Rich Franklin at light heavyweight.
Because the Irish government does not recognize MMA as a sport, Ratner will oversee many logistical duties normally done by an athletic commission, including hiring of referees, ringside officials, and drug testing.
"As if it would be in the state of Nevada," Ratner tells MMAInsider.
Ratner is still working on forming a commission that oversees MMA in the United Kingdom. Up until now, the British Boxing Board of Control, which once oversaw boxing in Ireland, has not been open to MMA. However, Ratner says there have been changes in the Board's executive staff, and some of the new members may be amenable to incorporating the sport.
"We're working with them, hoping that will happen," says Ratner. "The British Boxing Board of Control can be the overall entity that's in charge, but they need some kind of MMA division. That's what we're working on."
Stateside, South Carolina and Wisconsin are two targets on his to-do list. The New York legislature reconvenes in mid-January, and the UFC's strategy groups and lobbying firms are laying the groundwork for the passage of bill 1-11458-A, which would regulate MMA in the Empire State. "We feel very confident that the sport of MMA will be approved in New York this session," Ratner says. He was unclear on the timetable for Massachusetts, though a July 2008 bill to regulate the sport was passed on.
"Everywhere there's an athletic commission, we want the sport of MMA approved. So we're out there working," he said.
The upcoming fight between Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin at light heavyweight was not, it appears, an original idea for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.
According to a source from Henderson's camp who asked to remain anonymous, Henderson originally accepted an offer to fight against Franklin at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta, Georgia, but was later told Franklin's camp turned the fight down.
At the time, Henderson was coming off a loss to Anderson Silva at UFC 82, while Franklin had last defeated Travis Lutter at UFC 83. Both were at crossroads in their respective careers due to middleweight Anderson Silva's dominance, and had been suggested for the light heavyweight division (Henderson's suggestions had been far more frequent).
Franklin ended up fighting Matt Hamill in the co-main event of UFC 88, while Henderson was slotted one fight before against jiu-jitsu ace Rousimar Palhares in a middleweight showcase.
Franklin's light heavyweight return was successful, no doubt leading the UFC to push for a main event meeting at UFC 93.
The two lend much-needed star power to the UFC's second trip to Ireland. Historically, events held abroad draw lower pay per view buyrates for the Las Vegas-based organization. In the end, the timing might have been just right.
Tickets for UFC 93 go on sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, Oct. 21 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K. There are presale options to purchase tickets before they go on sale to the general public.
Starting Friday, Oct. 17 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K., tickets for UFC 93 go on sale to UFC Fight Club members. And on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 9 a.m. in Ireland and the U.K., tickets go on sale to newsletter subscribers.
UFC 93 is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Jan. 17 at the O2 Arena in Dublin, Ireland. It features two high profile fights for the Ultimate Fighting Championship as the promotion kicks off 2009. Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson clash in the main event and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Mark Coleman will also do battle. Both fights are in the light heavyweight division.
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