The rematch between Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson has come and gone.
The two longtime middleweight contenders squared off for the first time at UFC 100 seven years ago, and “Hendo” scored an iconic knockout victory. Ever since then, Bisping has been clamoring for a second shot at the mixed martial arts legend.
He got an opportunity to get revenge in the main event of UFC 204 on Saturday night, in front of his hometown crowd of Manchester, England. This time, however, it was a five-round fight for the UFC middleweight championship of the world — Bisping’s first title defense after stunning Luke Rockhold earlier this year.
Henderson surprised many by severely wobbling “The Count” in the opening round and again in the second, probably earning himself the highlight of the entire five-round war. But it wasn’t enough — Bisping survived.
He had to dig deep, however. Bisping stayed on the outside — where he was safer, of course — and scored with volume in the third and fourth rounds. Henderson was certainly tired mid-way through the fight, but not out of the fight by any means. The final round, like the majority of the previous rounds, was razor-thin close; Bisping landed a few more strikes throughout the last five minutes but Henderson landed a takedown in the latter half. The prestigious title was up for grabs until literally the very end, but it was Bisping who walked away with it at the end.
Bisping retained the middleweight championship with scores of (48-47, 48-47 and 49-46), all in his favor.
Bisping was humble in victory, saying that Henderson “just kicked my ass,” and thanked his hometown crowd for the support. But he proceeded to call the entire top of the 185-pound division out, however, including former champs Rockhold and Chris Weidman.
Henderson, as everyone expected, announced his official retirement from the sport. What a career that man had. Championships in just about every organization he fought for. Wars for the ages. Classic knockouts. The Bisping fight capped off his career in an almost-ideal way, even in defeat. It was not bad for an old man — his words.
Also, during his post-fight interview with the challenger, UFC commentator Brian Stann did something very rare — give up the microphone. But it was well deserved for the legendary 46-year-old. Henderson had nothing bad to say about Bisping and thanked his fans for the last time to cheers from the enemy crowd.
Bisping vs. Henderson II will go down in the history books forever. It was back-and-forth. It was thrilling. It was classic.