After first being reported by Kevin Iole at Yahoo! Sports, the rumored deal between Dan Henderson and Strikeforce has come to fruition, according to Ariel Helwani at AOL Fanhouse.
The deal will land Henderson multiple fights under the Strikeforce banner, as “Hendo” moves towards a run at most likely the middlweight belt, which is currently held by Jake Shields.
Henderson declined every offer granted by the UFC when the organization declined the seven-figure signing bonus the former PRIDE champion insisted on receiving. This is far and away the biggest steal Strikeforce has had from the UFC.
The middleweight division of Strikeforce is in need of contenders, and Henderson certainly fits the bill. While it may be a few fights before Henderson fights for the 185-pound gold, an intriguing match up with Robbie Lawler would be an interesting fights for the promotion and the fans watching on Showtime.
There is no word when Henderson will debut, but early 2010 would be a safe projection. Stay tuned to Inside Fights for further news surrounding Strikeforce’s biggest signing to date.
Last 5 posts by Nate Lawson
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I’d love to see Hendorson vs. Fedor in a catchweight bout.
I’ve never really swayed one way or the other w/ Dana White and understood the business side of things but this has truly changed my view of the UFC which has been steadily withering away lately especially the pathetic cards they’ve put out since UFC 100. Hendo got screwed in this bigtime and Dana’s comments that he didn’t want Hendo made me lose all hope for UFC because either way if he’s just saying that or not it makes him and the company look horrible. I think he was scared Hendo was going to beat his golden boy Silva and it would prove he doesn’t have the best pound for pound fighter in the world. I would not expect Silva to get a tough fight in his remaining time w/ the UFC unless Fedor loses.
I honestly think Anderson Silva losing is exactly what the UFC needs. Whether it be in the Light Heavyweight Division or in the Middleweight Division, both of them need a fire lit under the talent the divisions. What better way to do that than to put out the flame of one of the most dominant champions in UFC history?
THIS INTRIM BELT IS GARBAGE THEY NEED WAIT UNTIL BROCK IS READY TO FIGHT,AND FRANK MIR GETS A LUCKY PUNCH AND ALL THE SUDDEN HE THINKS HE CAN BEAT BROCK,HE IS STARTING TO GET FAT AGAIN AND HE WILL NOT BEAT BROCK OR ANY OTHER GREAT FIGHTER.
MIR YOU GOT A LOT OF GUTS TO CALL BROCK OUT AGAIN AFTER HE REARRANGED YOUR FACE IN THE 2ND FIGHT AND ALMOST KOD IN THE 1ST FIGHT,YOU GET A LUCKY PUNCH AT UFC 107 .YOU WERE NEVER A REAL CHAMP YOU HAD A MAKE BELIVE BELT AND ALL THE SUDDEN YOU CAN BEAT THE CHAMP.BROCK GET WELL SOON.