Dan Henderson Can Rewrite Farewell Story Vs. Michael Bisping At UFC 204

Dan Henderson already had one heck of a farewell from the UFC. The question is, can he do it all over again?

Back at UFC 199 in June, “Hendo,” 46, talked openly in the buildup about stepping away from MMA no matter the outcome against Hector Lombard. Then, as if following a movie script, Henderson got a KO win in front of his home crowd in Southern California — including well over 50 of his friends and family in attendance that night at The Forum.

A fitting farewell for one of the most prolific fighters in combat sports.

Then a funny thing happened. Just a few minutes after Henderson’s win in that very arena, Michael Bisping shocked the world when he defeated Luke Rockhold for the middleweight championship on short notice in the main event.

Forget the retirement script Henderson just created: It was time for a rewrite. Bisping vs Henderson 2 at UFC 204 this Saturday night in Manchester, England beckoned.

“The last fight, I had in my mind that it could be my last fight,” Henderson said. “But given the opportunity at a title I had to say yes. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

That’s exactly what happened. Almost immediately after Bisping’s win, a rumbling began among fans who wanted to see a rematch of the UFC 100 classic between the two titans of the sport, one which Henderson won in dramatic fashion in the second round with a flying elbow that continues to be a staple of KO reels.