# ***OFFICIAL*** Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Dan Henderson Pre/Post Fight Discussion



## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

****OFFICIAL*** Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante vs. Dan Henderson Pre/Post Fight Discussion*










*Please direct all threads/conversation regarding this fight into this thread. All other threads will be merged into this one.*​


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## Soojooko (Jun 4, 2009)

Hendo is getting crushed.


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## Hennessy (Feb 28, 2011)

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES
taken from 5thround.com:

Lost in the madness of what went down Thursday at “UFC on Versus 3” was Strikeforce’s pre-fight press conference inside the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. All eight athletes competing in the televised portion of Saturday’s Showtime broadcast hit the podium to promote this weekend’s card.

Light heavyweight champ Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante defends his crown against Dan Henderson in the night’s featured contest, while Marloes Coenen puts her 135-pound belt on the line against Liz Carmouche in the card’s co-main event.

Here’s some of what the card’s cast of characters had to say during Thursday’s pow-wow:

RAFAEL “FEIJAO” CAVALCANTE:

“I prepare for the next fight and I train for that opponent. I’m thinking about Dan Henderson and not thinking about the championship.

“I don’t care that no one has successfully defended the (light heavyweight) title. I care about preparation, training and getting inside the cage to fight.

“I always train like a family. Antonio Rodrigo is like my mentor. He helped me a lot. He’s always there with me. My coaches and I have made a strategy for this fight.

“With a big challenge you train more and more. Henderson is a big challenge and that is what makes this sport exciting.”

DAN HENDERSON:

“One of the benefits of fighting at 205 (pounds) is I get to enjoy my food. One of the drawbacks is I have to fight guys his (Feijao’s) size.

“I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title. Every fight for the last few years has been pretty big so I don’t feel any added pressure fighting for the title.

“He’s (Feijao is) a different fighter than Anderson Silva so it doesn’t matter that they train together. And I think I’ve improved a lot since I fought Anderson.

“A lot of the techniques are similar in MMA. You just have to look at your opponent and their technique and tweak your game plan a little bit.

“Obviously, I wouldn’t be here if winning a world title wasn’t one of my goals. But the challenge of fighting someone like Feijao is exciting. He’s big, he’s tough and he’s strong. I would definitely enjoy having the belt but the reason I fight is for the challenge.”

MARLOES COENEN:

“I’m always prepared and ready to go. This will be a very exciting fight. Liz will come in very determined because of the opportunity she’s getting, but this is an important fight for me, too.

“I need to stay humble because when you start to get cocky is when you’ll lose. I’m comfortable, my weight is good. I can fight at 135 and 145, but I feel a bit stronger at 135 pounds.’’

LIZ CARMOUCHE:

“I’m absolutely grateful and excited for this chance. I look forward to the challenge. I’m all about challenges.

“This is going to be a fierce, non-stop back-and-forth fight that I expect will go five full rounds.

“We train for five round fights, so stamina will not be a problem. I can’t wait to fight Marloes on Saturday.’’

TIM KENNEDY:

“I’m just excited to be fighting a guy that comes to fight. Manhoef is exciting and comes to win. It is exactly the recipe for a good fight and that’s what I want on Saturday.

“I expect a fast-paced, explosive fight. I don’t see it going the distance.’’

MELVIN MANHOEF:

“All fights are important and every time I step into the cage I’m confident I will win. I’m not treating this fight any differently, but it would be good to get a win to reestablish myself.

“I’m not making any excuses, but I know I had (Robbie) Lawler but I made a mistake and it cost me the fight. I went in for the kill and dropped my hands and he caught me.

“Striking is definitely my strong point, but I’m prepared to go anywhere the fight goes on Saturday. The key is for me to be aggressive and fight my fight and not force it.

“Kennedy is a very good, determined fighter. This is going to be an all-action fight.’’

BILLY EVANGELISTA:

“I’m looking forward to dropping back down to my natural weight of 155 pounds. My last fight was my first in nearly a year and the first since my injury. I fought a guy stronger and bigger than me and in a totally different weight class. Performance-wise, I expect to be much better on Saturday.

“I don’t watch tapes of opponents so I don’t know much about Masvidal other than he’ll have a height advantage. I’m confident that I can win what will be a very hard fight and take the next step up. A win gets me closer to the Strikeforce belt – the ultimate goal is for me to fight for the Strikeforce title.”

JORGE MASDIVAL:

“I’m happy to be fighting for Strikeforce again. I’m looking forward to fighting on Showtime.

“I had a great camp and I’m in great shape. I’m very confident.’’


I am very cusious ab Manhoff. He lost all his last bouts in the DREAM Promotion, so let's see how he's doing in the STRIKEFORCE cage.


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## meli083 (Mar 31, 2010)

I hope Henderson wins but I see Cavalcante stuffing his takedowns and outstriking him.

imo, easy money to be made


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## mmaswe82 (Feb 22, 2010)

meli083 said:


> I hope Henderson wins but I see Cavalcante stuffing his takedowns and outstriking him.
> 
> imo, easy money to be made


I kind of agree, except I don't even think Hendo is going to try to take him down, he will want to box as usual.
I predict a decision win for Cavalcante. Don't think he has the power to (T)KO Hendo. Hendo just might KO him tho, but I doubt it.
BTW for people betting Calavcante gives good odds.


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## meli083 (Mar 31, 2010)

mmaswe82 said:


> I kind of agree, except I don't even think Hendo is going to try to take him down, he will want to box as usual.
> I predict a decision win for Cavalcante. Don't think he has the power to (T)KO Hendo. Hendo just might KO him tho, but I doubt it.
> BTW for people betting Calavcante gives good odds.


And there's always a chance Hendo catches him with a strong right but I'm sure Cavalcante will know what to look for when standing. He's training with guys that've beaten Hendo.


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## EliteUndisputed (Nov 26, 2010)

Hendo's power hasn't diminished, he KO'ed Bisping, rocked Shields, and KO'ed Babalu.

Feijao will take the first round but gets KO'ed in the second after Hendo catches him with an H-Bomb.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

I'm not 100% confident, but I think hendo is going to take this.

Feijao has looked awesome, but hasn't fought anyone near this caliber.


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## SerJ (Sep 17, 2009)

I think Cavalcante will take it. As long as he avoids the big right hand, I can see him take the decision. I hope it doesn't go that far though because I see both guys gassing by the 3rd/4th round. I'll be rooting for Hendo, but my head is telling Fejaio takes it.


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## BWoods (Apr 8, 2007)

Hendo isn't going to be able to brawl with Feijao, dude's striking is too powerful.


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## SerJ (Sep 17, 2009)

Good first round. I gave it to Hendo with getting that TD and controlling on the ground.


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## AlphaDawg (Nov 16, 2009)

BEAUTIFUL clinch grappling going on. Really enjoying this.


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## Walker (May 27, 2007)

Hendo is a freaking warrior great 2nd round. Me mucho likey. :thumb02:​


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## John8204 (May 13, 2010)

I got Henderson up by 2 rounds, but I'm nervous.


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## John8204 (May 13, 2010)

Holy Crap What The Heck Just Happened!


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## AlphaDawg (Nov 16, 2009)

Thank GOD!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! GO DAN HENDERSON!


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## Walker (May 27, 2007)

WOW OH WOW. Great win for Hendo. Freaking awesome! :thumb02::thumb02::thumb02:​


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## The Horticulturist (Feb 16, 2009)

What an awesome performance from one of my all time favorite fighters. 

So happy right now


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## SerJ (Sep 17, 2009)

That was awesome. Congrats to Hendo! So happy he won that belt. I doubt we'll be seeing a smiley face tweet from Dana White tonight.


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## aerius (Nov 19, 2006)

Dan Henderson? Using inside and outside leg kicks? 
That's like Matt Hughes going for a spinning backfist.


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## John8204 (May 13, 2010)

I don't really see Dan holding the belt for to long, but man great fight and moment for Hendo. Now bring on the King


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## 420atalon (Sep 13, 2008)

LOL, SF LHW champion can't even beat UFC MW or WW fighters...

Good for Hendo but his title is pretty much meaningless...


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## SerJ (Sep 17, 2009)

O shut up Mauro with your H-Bomb crap. Man, why is this dude so annoying? 

That LHW belt keeps getting passed around. Let's hope Hendo is able to defend for a few fights.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

the dude wasn't a 2 weight class champ for no reason. Feijao looked very good out there but as I expected, this was indeed his toughest challenge and it got the best of him. Good win for Hendo man, the dude is a headhunter.


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

Dana white has never been happier, he is gonna tell everyone how his WW contender and MW champ have both dominated the SF LHW champ.


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## John8204 (May 13, 2010)

It's still an amazing accomplishment to be a WW, MW, and LHW champion... I don't think anyone else has done that.


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## TanyaJade (Aug 31, 2010)

Toxic said:


> Dana white has never been happier, he is gonna tell everyone how his WW contender and MW champ have both dominated the SF LHW champ.


Exactly. Haha.

Henderson looked decent, especially for a 40 year-old, but I think his best days are probably behind him.

Feijao did much better than I expected.


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## Buakaw_GSP (Jan 9, 2011)

One well timed right hand is what it pretty much took for Hendo to become the new SF MW Champ. Dana still likes talking about Hendo but he is going to say some funny stuff that Hendo couldnt be champ in UFC in his prime but easily in SF at age 40. Shows that Hendo still has some left and the talent pool is obviously lower.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

420atalon said:


> LOL, SF LHW champion can't even beat UFC MW or WW fighters...
> 
> Good for Hendo but his title is pretty much meaningless...





Toxic said:


> *Dana white has never been happier, he is gonna tell everyone how his WW contender and MW champ have both dominated the SF LHW champ.*


Exactly!
Especially the part with the *WW contender*...who had a pretty awfull performance against Kampmann (some say he lost)....who lost against Diego....who one year ago lost against BJ...who lost his belt to Edgar, who many consider a FW!

How funny is that?!
Dana is having multiple orgasms right now!


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## Buakaw_GSP (Jan 9, 2011)

John8204 said:


> It's still an amazing accomplishment to be a WW, MW, and LHW champion... I don't think anyone else has done that.


Well he didnt exactly fight at around 170... Its practically 1 MW and 2 LHW.


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## SonOfZion (Feb 14, 2011)

they kept repeating "the SF LHW division is deep" like if they said it enough times, it would become true.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

limba said:


> Exactly!
> Especially the part with the *WW contender*...who had a pretty awfull performance against Kampmann (some say he lost)....who lost against Diego....who one year ago lost against BJ...who lost his belt Edgar, who many consider a FW!
> 
> How funny is that?!
> Dana is having multiple orgasmas right now!


and are the UFC Loyalists catching every drop in their mouths? 

Seriously, does this fight have to be about how it solidifies Dana White and his roster into even more unearthly realms? Can we perhaps just discuss a 40 year old mma legend having a glorious moment and performance? 

It's embarrassing sometimes how latched onto dana's nuts some people are.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

420atalon said:


> LOL, SF LHW champion can't even beat UFC MW or WW fighters...
> 
> Good for Hendo but his title is pretty much meaningless...


no one in the UFC can defeat the UFC MW or WW champions either, so what's your point exactly?


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## SonOfZion (Feb 14, 2011)

props to Hendo either way. I never liked him that much or his style but somehow, someway, he gets the job done a good amount of the time.

i guess i have a boxing mentality but i would feel so ashamed if i knew all a guy had standing was a big overhand right and i just kept getting caught by it again and again, with no setups or anything. blah. If it works, its good.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

i just want to clarify too that I am not some SF nuthugger. I think they're the busch leagues of MMA, a good training ground for new inexperienced fighters and a place for old fighters like hendo to work out the end of their career.

I just don't see what kind of a person it takes to come on here less than an hour after Hendo wins his fight and be acting like a giddy school girl over how this looks for dana and his roster. OMGZ I'm so happy for Dana and his organization. It's nerd and I have very little tolerance. It was only 28 events ago that Hendo KOed a MW contender and has beat still rising contenders in UFC MW and who really cares?

Any unbiased, intelligent fan should have known that strength/technique/skill/experience wise that this was Faijao's toughest challenge. He lost, but he didn't look terrible in defeat, just a growing fighter getting a taste of his own medicine.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

sNuFf_rEaLiTy said:


> and are the UFC Loyalists catching every drop in their mouths?
> 
> Seriously, does this fight have to be about how it solidifies Dana White and his roster into even more unearthly realms? Can we perhaps just discuss a 40 year old mma legend having a glorious moment and performance?
> 
> It's embarrassing sometimes how latched onto dana's nuts some people are.



UFC loyalist?! What did you smoke?!
I am a MMA loyalist man.
Do your homework before talking, ok?!

1. Read my posts. I am by no means one of Dana's nuthuggers. In fact i criticise him every time i feel like he deserves it.
But at this moment he gets the job done with his company.

2. Props to Henderson for winning the belt. But looking at him, you must ask yourself a question: how good is that division, when Hendo is the champ and he, basically is a fighter with 2 tricks: big right and TDs. His opponents should use his big right hand against him, because, although it's his biggest strength, it's also his biggest weakness. It's that simple. I can't believe there are fighters out there who haven't figured out yet how to get past that right hand. (Hint: circle to yor right!)
And his ground game is terrible: he doesn't go for subs, because he can't and his GnP is weak as hell.

That was/is my point. I respect him, because it takes a lot to achieve what he has. Hard training, mental and tactical preparation for the fight and all the stuff that comes along with getting ready for a fight.

It's a mystery honestly. How, in 2011, you can become a champion, by having such limited skills.



SonOfZion said:


> props to Hendo either way. I never liked him that much or his style but somehow, someway, he gets the job done a good amount of the time.
> 
> * i guess i have a boxing mentality but i would feel so ashamed if i knew all a guy had standing was a big overhand right and i just kept getting caught by it again and again, with no setups or anything.* blah. If it works, its good.


Exactly!
(i wrote the longer version)


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## lanceis2buff (Aug 3, 2006)

limba said:


> Exactly!
> Especially the part with the *WW contender*...who had a pretty awfull performance against Kampmann (some say he lost)....who lost against Diego....who one year ago lost against BJ...who lost his belt to Edgar, who many consider a FW!
> 
> How funny is that?!
> Dana is having multiple orgasms right now!


GSP lost to Matt Serra, who lost to Chris Lytle, who lost to Marcus Davis, who lost to Ben Saunders. 

Therefore Ben Saunders > GSP

I love MMA Math. Makes me feel smart.


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## TanyaJade (Aug 31, 2010)

sNuFf_rEaLiTy said:


> and are the UFC Loyalists catching every drop in their mouths?
> 
> Seriously, does this fight have to be about how it solidifies Dana White and his roster into even more unearthly realms? Can we perhaps just discuss a 40 year old mma legend having a glorious moment and performance?
> 
> It's embarrassing sometimes how latched onto dana's nuts some people are.


He's not on Dana's nuts. He hates Dana. He's just stating a fact, that Dana is going to be all over Dan Henderson winning this title when a natural welterweight owned him for four rounds. Shields is a tough opponent, and Hendo was in bad shape, but still, Dana is going to be on this like hot water.

Ariel Helwani: So Dana, what do you think of Dan Henderson winning the Strikeforce LHW title?"

Dana: I'll ******* tell you ******* what motherfucker. ******* Dan ******* Henderson got his ******* ass beat by a ******* guy who probably ******* lost to Matrin Kampmann, a ******* welterweight man, a ******* welterweight. I ******* think that that right ******* there shows that the ******* UFC is the ******* best MMA organization in the ******* world. ******* Strikeforce is just the ******* minor ******* leagues. ****."


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

limba said:


> UFC loyalist?! What did you smoke?!
> I am a MMA loyalist man.
> Do your homework before talking, ok?!
> 
> ...


well the "how funny is that" line came across to me like you were all about Dana and UFC and not just MMA in general. You corrected yourself, and I quoted you to throw in my funny jizz line that I jacked from a rick ross song however that post wasn't exclusively directed at you. There are other people who are looking at this more about how it reflects on dana & his organization rather than just looking at the fight itself.

I think the SF LHW division is nowhere near the caliber of UFC's group of LHW's. It may be the same sport, but it's not the same ballpark or division. 

Mousasi came up short against Mo who was overrated and got elbowed into oblivion by Faijao who got KOed by Henderson. The only similarity in divisions is how swiftly the belt changes hands.

I'm not really that big of a Henderson fan but his accomplishments speak for themselves and that's why I had him winning this fight. He may be 40 but the last thing you lose is your power and I don't think his chin has weakened much either. Hendo is 1 dimensional and has an olympic caliber greco roman wrestling background and a pretty solid record. Faijao is an impressive 10-2 but again, there was no reason to think he was on the level of Henderson except the age differential.

Hendo also is pretty solid at headhunting, the whole first round he was gauging reactions in order to place that big right in the sweet spot. He also puts the pressure man, he was stalking and backing Faijao up in the rounds except when he took an equilibrium destroying shot. And to power up into top control after that punch was quite impressive. He never lost awareness or strength, just lost his legs.

I thought Faijao looked great, even in defeat. I don't imagine many fighters recovering from that shot and barrage that followed. He has solid striking and power. Good size and his strength seems solid overall. You live by the sword you die by the sword. Many fighters of higher caliber have dropped to Hendo so Faijao has nothing to feel bad about. Time to train harder and round out his game is all.

oh and Limba, I've read many of your posts. But if there's one thing I dislike about this site is, it's a bit crowded. I personally can't keep up with who is who and who said what. No offense. I really wish I could, but I just see a sea of screennames.



Ari said:


> He's not on Dana's nuts. He hates Dana. He's just stating a fact, that Dana is going to be all over Dan Henderson winning this title when a natural welterweight owned him for four rounds. Shields is a tough opponent, and Hendo was in bad shape, but still, Dana is going to be on this like hot water.
> 
> Ariel Helwani: So Dana, what do you think of Dan Henderson winning the Strikeforce LHW title?"
> 
> Dana: I'll ******* tell you ******* what motherfucker. ******* Dan ******* Henderson got his ******* ass beat by a ******* guy who probably ******* lost to Matrin Kampmann, a ******* welterweight man, a ******* welterweight. I ******* think that that right ******* there shows that the ******* UFC is the ******* best MMA organization in the ******* world. ******* Strikeforce is just the ******* minor ******* leagues. ****."


Gotcha. I just don't see why Dana would even waste his time. The proof is in the footage and didn't the original UFC's prove that size doesn't mean a damn thing in a fight? 

If dana does want to play that game, GSP got beat by a natural LW. Jon Fitch fought to a draw to a natural LW. There's plenty of UFC fights with the same outcome as Hendo/Faijao when it comes to size.

Plus I think that the hardest part of getting older in the fight business would probably have to do with cutting weight. I thought that had a lot to do with Hendo's loss to Shields. I'm not surprised that he's finding his rhythm again at strikeforce's 205 division.


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## TanyaJade (Aug 31, 2010)

I thought Feijao's quote after the fight was great. Really impressed with his attitude and mentality, especially after losing the title and being knocked out.

“[I made] a lot of mistakes, but [it] can happen to anyone. Today, it’s me; tomorrow, it’s him. I’m going to come back stronger, for sure.”


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

Ari said:


> I thought Feijao's quote after the fight was great. Really impressed with his attitude and mentality, especially after losing the title and being knocked out.
> 
> “[I made] a lot of mistakes, but [it] can happen to anyone. Today, it’s me; tomorrow, it’s him. I’m going to come back stronger, for sure.”


after machida lost, i adopted my father's feelings about MMA...They all lose and there is no shame in it. I believe that the competition level is even more close than it appears. Not in a UFC vs SF kind of way, but in each division everyone is 1 big punch away. It's a dangerous game. You lose some and you win some. It's about what you can do NOT to lose some and how many more you can win.

Faijao has mucho talent to grow off of.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

lanceis2buff said:


> GSP lost to Matt Serra, who lost to Chris Lytle, who lost to Marcus Davis, who lost to Ben Saunders.
> 
> Therefore Ben Saunders > GSP
> 
> I love MMA Math. Makes me feel smart.


And *Ben Saunders* lost to *Jon Fitch* who lost to *GSP*.
That means *GSP is better than everyone, including GSP!*

Get it?!

_PS: it's a great sentiment you get, when feeling smart, isn't it! - no disrespect here, just an honest joke _

My opinion was more detailed in post no. 36!



sNuFf_rEaLiTy said:


> well the "how funny is that" line came across to me like you were all about Dana and UFC and not just MMA in general. You corrected yourself, and I quoted you to throw in my funny jizz line that I jacked from a rick ross song however that post wasn't exclusively directed at you. There are other people who are looking at this more about how it reflects on dana & his organization rather than just looking at the fight itself.
> 
> I think the SF LHW division is nowhere near the caliber of UFC's group of LHW's. It may be the same sport, but it's not the same ballpark or division.
> 
> ...


Good points man! Got you!

I have nothing against Henderson, i admire the guy for still going at a high level - because, even though the SF LHW division can't compare to the UFC's, there are still some very tough guys fighting there.
And props to Hendo for still succeeding with his style. That worls for him, so why change it?!

Although i think Feijao made some ovious mistakes in this fight: 
1. his movement was prett slow and predictable. He should have circled to his right for the majority of the fight, make Hendo hunt him more and open up.
2. when he had Hendo in trouble, i felt like he rushed in too fast and lost a very good opportunity to take Hendo's back or at least a very good position.
3. he has a good Muay Thai, but i really haven't seen too much of it, especially when you consider how much time they spenti in the clinch. Some good old muay thai knees would have been more than welcomed.

I believe this was Feijao's fight to lose, more than Hendo's fight to win.


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## lanceis2buff (Aug 3, 2006)

limba said:


> And *Ben Saunders* lost to *Jon Fitch* who lost to *GSP*.
> That means *GSP is better than everyone, including GSP!*
> 
> Get it?!
> ...


None taken.

I just don't see the logic in playing the Kevin Bacon 6 Degrees of Separation game with MMA wins and losses. 

Dan Henderson is a much better fighter at 205 than he is at 185. He even says himself that he is better suited at 205, and his track record proves it. His losses at 205 are sporadic, with tough fights against Rampage and Rogerio. He avenged his loss to Wandy. That decision to Arona was another questionable Pride ruling. Aside from that, he is flawless.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

lanceis2buff said:


> None taken.
> 
> I just don't see the logic in playing the Kevin Bacon 6 Degrees of Separation game with MMA wins and losses.
> 
> Dan Henderson is a much better fighter at 205 than he is at 185. He even says himself that he is better suited at 205, and his track record proves it. His losses at 205 are sporadic, with tough fights against Rampage and Rogerio. He avenged his loss to Wandy. That decision to Arona was another questionable Pride ruling. Aside from that, he is flawless.


Again - not denying his achievements.
But i believe MMA has evolved a lot recently and fighters have become more and more skilled lately.

And yet, Henderson is still the same guy: big right + takedowns with no action whatsoever.

I believe the blueprint to beating henderson is pretty simple, and yet some have forgotten to implement it.
Feijao is a BJJ BB and he rolls with the Nogueira brothers an Silva and yet, he didn't try anything while holding top control. And when hendo was rocked also: for a fraction, it looked like he could have taken Hendo's back, but i gota rewatch that to be sure.......

Feijao could have fought smarter. Much smarter. And the result would/could have been different.


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## lanceis2buff (Aug 3, 2006)

limba said:


> Again - not denying his achievements.
> But i believe MMA has evolved a lot recently and fighters have become more and more skilled lately.
> 
> And yet, Henderson is still the same guy: big right + takedowns with no action whatsoever.
> ...


The sport can evolve as much as it wants, but it's always going to be tough to beat a guy with solid TD defense, a freight train right hand, and a chin made of Chuck Norris. 

The blueprint to beat Dan was formed long ago, yet he still manages to come out on top time and again. His gas tank at 185 has been his undoing. He just has a natural skill set that allows him to be successful at his job. If it ain't broke, why fix it?


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## Buakaw_GSP (Jan 9, 2011)

sNuFf_rEaLiTy said:


> after machida lost, i adopted my father's feelings about MMA...They all lose and there is no shame in it. I believe that the competition level is even more close than it appears. Not in a UFC vs SF kind of way, but in each division everyone is 1 big punch away. It's a dangerous game. You lose some and you win some. It's about what you can do NOT to lose some and how many more you can win.
> 
> Faijao has mucho talent to grow off of.


Thats the LHW Division for you. If you look at both UFC and SF LHW Divisions for example the Title Holders for the 205 pounds is very unstable. You will have a new Champion constantly, It went from King Mo > Feijao > Henderson in a span of 3 fights. UFC went from Evans > Machida > Shogun in 4 fights (arguably 3). It wouldnt surprise me if Shogun lost then lost the Belt to Jones this next fight. WHen was the last time the UFC had a stable long reigning LHW Champion? Probably since Chuck Liddell. The LHW and HW Championships are like Door Knobs, everyone gets a turn. While the UFC WW and MW had dominant Champions for a long time. Matt Hughes > GSP and Rich Franklin > Anderson Silva. While LW had it for a while with BJ Penn. 

I guess this goes back to the debate on which you prefer, *Long Reigning Champions that dominate a Division or a Wide Open Division where anyone can be Champion.*


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## SigFig (Sep 22, 2009)

Buakaw_GSP said:


> ...
> 
> I guess this goes back to the debate on which you prefer, *Long Reigning Champions that dominate a Division or a Wide Open Division where anyone can be Champion.*


Good thing the LHW and HW divisions don't have longstanding champs... 'cos then people would be clamoring for a Lesnar vs Liddell fight


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## EliteUndisputed (Nov 26, 2010)

Said it for months, Hendo would beat him and he did. Guess he'll fight the winner of Kyle/Mousasi now.


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

lanceis2buff said:


> The sport can evolve as much as it wants, but it's always going to be tough to beat a guy with solid TD defense, a freight train right hand, and a chin made of Chuck Norris.
> 
> The blueprint to beat Dan was formed long ago, yet he still manages to come out on top time and again. His gas tank at 185 has been his undoing. He just has a natural skill set that allows him to be successful at his job. *If it ain't broke, why fix it?*


Bolded part - totally agree! That's a life philosohpy right there.

Maybe, my expectations regarding Feijao, were too high, who i consider more skilled and well rounded, but at the end of the day, that's why fights take place - we can't just look at skills on paper and decide who is the winner...
Anyway, Congratulations Henderson! Well deserved!


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## The Horticulturist (Feb 16, 2009)

limba said:


> Feijao could have fought smarter. Much smarter. And the result would/could have been different.


I am just going to take a short moment to rant about why I disagree. (but obviously in a friendly way  )

You are grossly underappreciating Henderson's clinch work as you subsequently have overly high expectations for Feijao. I feel like this needs to be pointed out, only because it is a regular practice by mma fans who might get their picks wrong.

Sometimes, I totally get behind a guy and try to come up with reasons he could have or should have won, but in this case Henderson was the more technical, and more skilled fighter by a sizeable margin. (Which surprized me too, or I would have bet on this fight)

He hasn't gotten so many wins with his hands by being one dimensional or predictable as some people tag him. He got there by having one of the most aggressive clinch, and sprawl and brawl games _ever_ established in MMA.

Henderson went out, and TOOK the fight from Feijao. Feijao, did not go out there and walk directly into a right hand. Henderson had taken him down several times, was bullying him in the clinch, and THEN caught him with the big right. 

Henderson was putting emphasis on how much smarter he fights now, and he definitely proved that to me last night. He showcased some of his best skills and put on a wicked show, completely neutralizing the younger, larger fighter.


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## Mike28 (Aug 11, 2010)

Henderson looked really good last night. His clinch work was maybe the best I have ever seen from him. He was actually mixing up his strikes by throwing inside/outside leg kicks and some jabs. Also had feints and great takedowns tonight. I think this is the best Henderson we have seen in a while. I don't think Feijao expected Henderson to be that strong in the clinch and going for takedowns. Feijao still looked real good but he ran into that overhand right. I think he can beat Mousassi or Kyle if they are next. I just wonder how long until his chin fails him.


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## sNuFf_rEaLiTy (Feb 2, 2009)

limba said:


> Good points man! Got you!
> 
> I have nothing against Henderson, i admire the guy for still going at a high level - because, even though the SF LHW division can't compare to the UFC's, there are still some very tough guys fighting there.
> And props to Hendo for still succeeding with his style. That worls for him, so why change it?!
> ...


The other point I wanted to make, and a big reason I was picking Henderson over Faijao is...and this is a big difference between the UFC and Strikeforce IMO.

The pace of the fight. I watched Faijao vs Mo earlier in the day just to refamiliarize myself with their last fight and while its a very impressive fight, they don't really go at the same pace as UFC competition. Just compare the pace of Faijao vs Mo to let's say Machida vs Shogun 1. There's a vast difference in the cardio and work ratios and that is the biggest difference.

Henderson has had to fight those kind of battles where as Faijao has been in the strikeforce area and that to me was a huge difference in the fight and a big focus I had leading into it.


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## Sambo de Amigo (Sep 24, 2010)

Toxic said:


> Dana white has never been happier, he is gonna tell everyone how his WW contender and MW champ have both dominated the SF LHW champ.


LOL my thoughts exactly lmao


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## meli083 (Mar 31, 2010)

I lost money on this but that's what I get for doubting Hendo.
He's like the Randy Couture of middle-lightheavy classes.


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## Spec0688 (Sep 9, 2007)

Toxic said:


> Dana white has never been happier, he is gonna tell everyone how his WW contender and MW champ have both dominated the SF LHW champ.


Its not like Dana kicked them out. I am sure if Dana and Hendo could agree on price terms, Hendo would still be in the UFC.

Dana also didn't kick Nick Diaz out, he just didn't want to sign with them after his current contract was up. He didn't like how he was being treated, can't remember the full story.

Dana White has nothing to say about his former fighters dominating SF because he had no say in why they left, they either left for their own reasons or for more money.

Even if Paul Daley starts dominating SF and manages to become the champ, Dana has nothing to say. He kicked him out because of his behavior and not his talent. Dana also trashes anyone who isn't in the UFC and if Nick Diaz somehow magically ends up in the UFC again, Dana will say nothing but good things about him.

Thats just how the business works.


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## MagiK11 (Dec 31, 2006)

Just watched the fight and damn, Hendo looked great last night as many of you said. Feijao was doing good as well but dan's over hand right is simply nasty!

WAR Hendo!


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## Guy Incognito (Apr 3, 2010)

Whoa hendo looked really good. he seems to be fighting smarter instead of just praying the right hand lands.

The TKO was pretty crazy. cracked him with the right hand and immediately landed on feijaos back,put the hooks in and just unloaded!!

I wanted feijao to win but it's always good to see hendo get a win.


P.S jesus christ mauro is an idiot, he really wants the
H-Bomb to become a term so he can tell everyone he coined it.
(he did coin lay and pray though so i will give him that)


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## limba (Jul 21, 2009)

SJ said:


> I am just going to take a short moment to rant about why I disagree. (but obviously in a friendly way  )
> 
> You are grossly underappreciating Henderson's clinch work as you subsequently have overly high expectations for Feijao. I feel like this needs to be pointed out, only because it is a regular practice by mma fans who might get their picks wrong.
> 
> ...


I agree with pretty much everything you've said.
Maybe you're right;: my expectations regarding Feijao were too high. I based those expectations on his recent form and the fact he is training at Blackhouse + he's a BJJ black belt and has shown great skills in his recent fights.

I thought he was doing pretty good up untill that big punch from Hendo.

But, what i meant when i said he could have fought smarter is: Hendo stalked him with that right hand all night long up untill he landed it. In the first 2 rounds he tried to land it multiple times. Let's be honest here: Henderson's striking isn't world class if we look at it from a technical point of view.
Feijao knew what to expect on the stand-up. It's not like Hendo would have tried to strike BJ Penn style or Anderson Silva style.
Plus, Hendo loves the clinch to try and set up his TDs.

That's my point on how Feijao could/should have been smarter in this fight. Preparing a gameplan for Henderson should be easier than preparing one .... Aldo, Jones or Shogun for example. 

Again props to Henderson for an excellent job.

PS: i'm not a big fan of neither of these guys, but if i were to choose one i would say i'm a bigger Hendo fan. I didn't think he would do it honestly.


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## BobbyCooper (Oct 26, 2009)

I think this fight also amswered a lot of questions on wich Hendo really fought against Jake Shields. It certainly wasn't the best one.


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## No_Mercy (Oct 17, 2006)

limba said:


> I agree with pretty much everything you've said.
> Maybe you're right;: my expectations regarding Feijao were too high. I based those expectations on his recent form and the fact he is training at Blackhouse + he's a BJJ black belt and has shown great skills in his recent fights.
> 
> I thought he was doing pretty good up untill that big punch from Hendo.
> ...


I would say nerves got the best of Feijao although Hendo fought to his full potential. He pretty much dictated the pace even when got knocked down early on with the takedown. When Feijao got top position Hendo held on. Stifling his younger opponents' game plan, taking a hard shot, really put a damper on Feijao's psych a bit I think. Plus the added pressure that his mentor (Anderson Silva) already beat him. It's his first title defense so he'll learn. 

Great win for Hendo. Mousasi will probably take it back now.


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## TraMaI (Dec 10, 2007)

Happy Hendo FINALLY went back to using his wrestling. Seriously the guy is a FANTASTIC fighter but he has a tendancy to forget who he is and where he comes from in MMA. His stand up is sloppy and loopy as shit and sometimes he just gets so damn fixated on "If I land this right hand..." and it loses him fights (See Hendo/Shields, Anderson/Hendo etc). Happy to see he still remembers his roots and used his wrestling to set that up.


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## Hennessy (Feb 28, 2011)

TraMaI said:


> Happy Hendo FINALLY went back to using his wrestling. Seriously the guy is a FANTASTIC fighter but he has a tendancy to forget who he is and where he comes from in MMA. His stand up is sloppy and loopy as shit and sometimes he just gets so damn fixated on "If I land this right hand..." and it loses him fights (See Hendo/Shields, Anderson/Hendo etc). Happy to see he still remembers his roots and used his wrestling to set that up.


absolutely. 
It was amazing to see his ability to not go down.
His Greco Roman kept him on the feet and when he wanted to take the fight to the ground...he did.

Great stuff to watch. I love me some Hendo


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## HitOrGetHit (Jun 29, 2009)

Also good to see that Hendo went straight to the wrestling when Feijao tagged him. If he mixes it up more like that, he will be tough to beat in Strikeforce for sure.


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## Hennessy (Feb 28, 2011)

post fight press vid:






I agree that he proved that he can still hang with the top guys at 205.

I also agree that this is the best weight class for him.

Also one should say Calvancante is really a class act.
Best of luck to him coming back strong.


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