Dan Henderson aiming to stay in the 205lb division
While Dan “Hendo” Henderson is famous for moving up and down between weight classes, on Wednesday 17 November he revealed from now on he’ll be fighting at light heavyweight (205lb) exclusively.
He’ll be taking on Renato “Babalu” Sobral in a match to determine who gets the next shot at the Strikeforce 205lb championship.
He made his Strikeforce debut in April and challenged for the middleweight (185lb) belt against Jake Shields. Despite coming in as a heavy favourite, Henderson instead looked listless after the first round
and suffered a lopsided decision loss, something he suggested a weight cut affected.
"I just didn’t have the energy I should have had," Henderson told
mmajunkie.com. "Halfway through the first round I was so tired. And with my conditioning, there is no reason I was so tired."
Now 40, Henderson became one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists in the world by accomplishing something no one else had, winning belts in two weight classes at the same time in a major MMA promotion,
turning the trick in Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships (there the divisional limits were 183 and 203lb). After the promotion’s purchase and incorporation into the UFC, he challenged for both belts in the UFC and lost both times, but then rattled off three
straight wins before jumping to Strikeforce.
"I have always felt comfortable at 205," said Henderson during a conference call promoting his clash with Sobral. "I have never felt weak or out-powered. I can eat a good meal the night before the fight."
Henderson, now 25-8, cuts no weight to make 205, which is rare for most light heavyweights, many of whom weigh over 220lb before weight-cutting. But that’s just the way Henderson likes it.
“It's one less thing I need to worry about before the fight. I am hanging out at 203, 204lb."
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