The Legend of Dan Henderson vs. Reality

It’s hard to believe, but Dan Henderson is headlining another UFC event. He has been fighting for almost twenty years, and is recognized as one of the all time greats of the sport. He has been a star in Rings, Pride FC, Strikeforce, and the UFC. His ability to knock out his opponents with one punch has earned his overhand right it’s own name, The H-Bomb.

The H-Bomb combined with Henderson’s ability to absorb punishment makes for some very dramatic fights. Even when he is losing, there’s always a chance that he can win. It’s almost as though you’re watching a movie when Henderson fights. The unfortunate reality is that it all comes at a cost.

In recent years, there have been countless studies on the affects of head trauma. I don’t know if there is a better case right now for a major fighter who is fighting far past his prime. It’s never talked about in depth, but it’s the elephant in the room. Media members certainly reference his age, and ask about retirement, but no one says he should.

In most circumstances, it is out of place for media members to say a fighter should retire, but this is the exception. While Henderson has only been knocked out twice in his professional career, he has certainly taken a lot of damage. What isn’t considered is the affects of the punches that didn’t completely knock him out, but still injured his brain.

He is forty-four years old, and has participated in forty three professional fights. The legend of Henderson is built on fights from a long time ago. Fans may get a glimpse of his greatness from time to time, but that is all. In his last six fights, he has only won once. Those two previously mentioned knock out losses have both fallen into the past two years.

Ultimately, it’s the commission’s call to determine whether a fighter should be licensed or not. The commissions have a conflict of interest between protecting fighters and protecting tax revenues coming into their states. Hopefully, Henderson finally puts his gloves in the middle of the cage following his fight on Saturday, because it looks like he will always be granted his license regardless of his record, age, or health.