Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson 2: Keys to Victory for Fighters at UFC 204

The clock is ticking on Dan Henderson's fighting career, and the countdown to UFC 204 in Manchester, England, is underway.

Saturday night's main event between Henderson and UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping has been in the making for seven years, ever since Henderson brutally knocked out Bisping in UFC 100 back in 2009. Having said that, neither Henderson nor Bisping is the same type of fighter he was back then.

This is revenge for Bisping. After winning the title at UFC 199 earlier this year with a first-round knockout of Luke Rockhold, The Count will defend his world title for the first time against his nemesis, Henderson, who will retire after the bout. 

Bisping is the better overall fighter—no one can dispute that at this stage of Henderson's career. The British fighter's cardio, striking, speed, footwork and kicks are superior to that of Henderson, and on paper, Bisping should probably close this fight inside of the first two rounds.

But no one can overlook Henderson's power. After all, they don't call his wicked right hand the H-Bomb for no reason. 

     

Bisping's keys to victory

Bisping has to be careful he doesn't come out of the gates too hot in the first round, or Hendo will catch him. It's hard to imagine Henderson, at the age of 46, going more than three rounds at the most, so he will likely be waiting to swing an overhand right at Bisping's jaw to back him up against the cage and get the finish.

This fight will not go five rounds, barring some unforeseen miracle where Bisping is too hesitant to go toe-to-toe with Henderson. That's unlikely since Bisping loves to control the tempo of the fight and harass his opponent. 

Bisping will defeat Henderson if he focuses on Octagon control and is careful with his striking. Look for the champ to throw a lot of kicks to disrupt Henderson's timing because the American is the type of striker who needs only one opening to change the outcome of a fight.

With the exception of Mark Hunt, nobody can match Henderson's knockout power.

     

Henderson's keys to victory

Henderson will not outwork Bisping in this fight, but he does have the experience and intelligence in the Octagon to know when to strike.

Realistically, Henderson's only shot at defeating Bisping and earning the UFC middleweight title is by knockout, so let the head-hunting begin. There is no pressure on the former Olympic wrestler, who already has his eyes set on hanging up his gloves after this fight, so what does he have to lose?

Henderson can win this fight and go 2-0 over Bisping if he survives the early storm of strikes and counters effectively. Uppercuts, hooks and straight punches will keep Bisping modest. The Brit will look to take the action to Henderson, so it might not be a bad idea for the American to drag the action to the mat in order to take the home crowd out of the fight and steal the momentum away from Bisping.

This fight will be a chess match, and the more patient fighter will prevail. 

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