Strikeforce to offer Henderson light heavyweight title bout
After a scramble near the cage fencing, Henderson, a two-time U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler, found himself perched above his Brazilian…
After a scramble near the cage fencing, Henderson, a two-time U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic wrestler, found himself perched above his Brazilian counterpart in perfect position to unload. The first downward punch slammed Sobral’s head into the canvas. So did the second. Henderson, who didn’t have the option to attack this way when they first met in the finals of one of MMA’s classic events, the RINGS King of Kings 1999 32-man tournament in February 2000, went after the evening’s third straight KO. Another vicious right missed, though the next landed and referee John McCarthy moved to save Sobral.
It was the kind of performance that prompted Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker to offer Henderson one of the most expensive contracts his organization has paid a fighter. And it was the type of result that emboldened Coker with the feeling that as his organization evolves from a “building-block year” into “phase 2,” that Henderson will be one of the men leading the action.
That could happen as soon as March, assuming Henderson is healthy enough. He departed the cage with soreness to the middle finger of his right hand, and where the thumb attaches to his granite fist. Henderson seemed unfazed by either and plans to “go after it pretty hard” in his Temecula, Calif., gym after the holidays. His deal with Strikeforce calls for two more bouts by June, and Coker is willing to oblige, telling ESPN.com that he plans on offering current Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante a bout against Henderson for March.
“The nice thing is we’re going to have a fight every months the first six months of 2011,” Coker said. “There’s some exciting fights for him in his career in Strikeforce.”