By Katrina Belcher (KatrinaBelcher@mmaratings.net)
Dan Henderson is a legendary fighter. He’s always struck me as a gentleman. During PRIDE he proved himself to be a worthy opponent, with superior ground skills, but with an incredible ability to fight an excellent stand up game – complete with deadly knock out power.
Henderson’s always been known as a “nice guy” with a killer’s instinct in the ring. Kinda’ how it should be. His stint as a coach on TUF 9 confirmed him to be a nice person, and someone who is not quick to anger. That’s a good thing, because we all know the first rule of fighting is never to fight in anger (corny Zorro plug!)
Legendary fighter, a gentleman, not quick to anger…could it be all those were just misconceptions? For most people, Saturday night showed us a different side to Hendo – but did it really? I don’t think so. Let’s get real – the man’s a fighter. Up until now he has always exhibited good sportsmanship and has been an excellent example of what an MMA fighter should be…and he proved just how superior a fighter he is to Michael “The Count-Him-Out” Bisping at UFC 100 Saturday night. Just into the 2nd round of their fight, Bisping was knocked out cold by one of Hendo’s famous loaded right hands. Oh…and another one. I don’t think he saw either one of them coming.
Yeah – I know he told Joe Rogan in the post-fight ring interview: “Normally, I’m not that way in fights. I know if the guy is out, I tend to stop. I knew I hit him out. I think that one was just to shut him up a bit.” But watch the video above closely – you’ll see he knocks Bisping out, and then goes down for the kill. He doesn’t hesitate; he doesn’t appear to be thinking about it — instinct took over and he just did what a fighter’s been taught to do…keep hitting until the ref calls it or the bell rings.
So when he said what he did, I think he was just playing to the crowd. Truly, we’ll never know what was really in his mind, but I don’t think he had time to think to himself: “hey – Bisping’s out…look at him lying on the floor like that; I think I’ll punch him again just to shut him up a bit!” and then proceed to do so. There just wasn’t enough time for that much processing!
If that second punch really was mean spirited, then I don’t like what Dan Henderson did at all; in my book that adds up to unsportsmanlike behavior – and anyone who knows me knows how I feel about that. And as much as I wanted him to kick Bisping’s ass, no one should be pounded like that after already being knocked silly. I don’t think it was though.
On a personal level I do understand where he was coming from… People in my dojo, even my own son, think it’s real funny to come up behind me and yell “boo” to see me jump around and get ready to belt them one. Usually my black belt training takes over, I control myself, look first, and manage to keep from hitting them. But a few times, especially when I was really concentrating on something, someone’s come up behind me, yelled BOO…and then found themselves in major pain or lying flat on the floor. Instinct. And that’s just while training at the dojo, not while I was in the middle of a heated fight!
Given the bad blood between them (which was NOTHING when compared to the Tito/Shamrock crap – Hendo and Bisping were BFF’s compared to those two) and Hendo’s desire to kick him to the curb for going on and on and on…about absolutely nothing during the TUF 9 show, not to mention how much he gloated about the Brits kicking the asses of the U.S. team, he abused Henderson’s fighters on many levels, and he acted more like “one of the guys” than he did a coach – so much so that Dan just wanted to shut him up.
Finally, let’s not forget it’s the ref’s job to call a fight — which Yamasaki did as soon as he saw Michael Bisping was out, so he did his job. But should Henderson have noticed Bisping was out after he hit him with the big one, jumped in the air to then go down to give him another whack, all in that split second…and stopped himself? Well, yeah. But he obviously was already in the act of following through with his combo; then adrenaline and instinct took over. Dan Henderson did what he was trained to do, plain and simple. I don’t have to like it, but I do understand it. And he HAS apologized for it, right?
In my opinion, Dan “Hendo” Henderson is still a gentleman, still a fighter, and still a force to be reckoned with – can’t wait to see him fight again!
Everything else aside – Bisping looked to be in pretty scary condition after the fight. Hope to see him up and talking again real soon!
I love how Hendo clearly smashes Bisping after he's out like a light and you're okay with it, but Lesnar is a POS for mouthing off and making sexual comments about his wife.
I smell some hypocrisy…
Completely different issue for me. Not hypocrisy at all. And as I clearly stated, I'm not okay with it, especially if it was done purposely.
You may not be okay with it, but Dan Henderson is still a great guy in your eyes, and wasn't doing anything intentionally harmful.
Brock Lesnar is an asshole to you because he made a comment about mounting his wife, despite the fact that those words couldn't have done the same kind of serious damage Hendo's forearm shiver could have inflicted on Bisping.
You can separate the two because you like Henderson and dislike Brock, and that is fine.
I disagree with it and think it's hypocritical, but whatever.
Comments: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=104328587963&h=EVlhc&u=KvJeH&ref=mf
Yes – I think Henderson is a great guy, and in fact in this interview he pretty much affirms what I wrote in my article point by point: http://blog.mmaratings.net/2009/07/right-or-wrong-hendos-fighter.html
I didn't say Brock was an asshole; I said he acted like one. And I don't think that way because he said he was going to go lay on his wife, but because in his pre-fight interview he said he never respected his opponents; he refused to touch gloves with Frank Mir; he spit his mouthpiece out at the camera and DROOLED, he flipped off the crowd, verbally attacked Mir and then gloated over his win. He then gave a half-hearted, obviously forced apology, just to appease Dana White and the public AND he said he was going to go lay on top of his wife.
Even Jesse Ventura was disgusted with Brock's classless antics: http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=106883051811&h=fuGO4&u=VMpku&ref=mf
IMO Henderson was doing his job – which is to fight. I guess in your mind, Spencer, Brock was doing his – and that is to win at any cost, and then to cause a spectacle to get more people to watch "ultimate fighting". BROCK+UFC=WWE.
I just believe in a different set of values in relation to this sport than you do.
No Katrina, I just think that Brock Lesnar running his mouth and whatnot is far less dangerous and detrimental to the sport than Hendo smashing Bisping to "shut his mouth" with a clear and obvious late shot.
Read Dave Meltzer's article on the topic and you'll see a clearer picture of where I'm coming from:
http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news;_ylt=AkdFquEtc0mlmgSdheVB8MY9Eo14?slug=dm-lesnar071709&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
You have this win at all costs thing stuck in your head and I don't get it. Is the point of a fight not to win? How is using his greatest advantages winning "at all costs?"
It's not like he hit him with a steel chair or anything…
Completely different issue for me. Not hypocrisy at all. And as I clearly stated, I'm not okay with it, especially if it was done purposely.