Hendo: A Sherdog Retrospective

His achievements speak for themselves. Still the only fighter in history — Conor McGregor will attempt to join him at UFC 205 — to simultaneously hold major mixed martial arts championships in two weight classes, Dan Henderson carved out a legacy that will last through the ages. Though “Hendo” failed in two attempts to capture Ultimate Fighting Championship gold, wins over a host of contemporaries, MMA stars and fellow legends saw to it that his place among the all-time greats was secure. Victories against Michael Bisping, Mauricio Rua (twice), Fedor Emelianenko, Rich Franklin, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Murilo Bustamante (twice), Renato Sobral and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira strengthen Henderson’s timeless resume. A two-division titleholder in Pride Fighting Championships who later went on to claim gold in Strikeforce, the two-time Olympian retired at the age of 46 following his unanimous decision defeat to Bisping on Oct. 8. A win would have made him the first mixed martial artist to win championships in Pride, Strikeforce and the UFC. That he failed in the endeavor does nothing to diminish his accomplishments.As Henderson turns the page in retirement, Sherdog.com staff members and contributors weigh in on their most vivid memories, reflections and appraisals of the Downey, California, native’s trials, triumphs and importance to MMA:ERIC STINTON: It says something about a fighter when he or she is universally known by a single name. Indeed, there’s a lot to be said about “Hendo.” He is probably the most accomplished fighter ever, with wins over people who were or would eventually become UFC, Pride or Bellator MMA champions every two to three years for the entirety of his 19-year career. Let that sink in. I don’t think anyone else has as many signature wins as Henderson does, and he got them at several weight classes. It’s hard to pinpoint one moment that stands out in such a career. His 53-second demolition of former UFC middleweight champ Bustamante, for example, gets lost in the shuffle of his later wins over Silva, Bisping and Emelianenko. Each of those fights warrants its own write-up. Instead, I’ll go with his most recent win over Hector Lombard. Prior to that fight, I was sold on the idea that “Hendo” was a shot fighter, having only won twice in his previous eight fights. Neither of those wins — one a come-from-behind TKO against fellow shell-of-a-Pride-champion Rua, the other a 30-second clubbing of Tim Boetsch — had me convinced that Henderson had much left in the tank other than a right hand. The first round went exactly as I expected the fight to go: The younger, more athletic Lombard pushed Henderson against the fence and started teeing off. At one point, I was certain “Hendo” was out cold, but it looked like Lombard put him to sleep and woke him back up with successive strikes. Either way, Henderson was on the wrong side of a 10-8 round, and his fate had all but officially been sealed. Instead, he answered the bell and pressed forward throwing high kicks of all things. Yes, the decorated Olympic wrestler who almost completely forewent his grappling chops to favor heavy-handed headhunting, rebounded from a beatdown of a round to start throwing comically bad head kicks. The ridiculousness did not stop there. After bandying some heavy leather, Henderson threw another kick; Lombard caught it, and immediately Henderson slashed his foe with a reverse elbow. Lights out, game over. Henderson inexplicably won. He underwent so many style changes in his career, from “Decision Dan” to “H-Bomb” extraordinaire, but this fight was a little more special. It showed that old dogs do, in fact, learn new tricks, and that all it takes is a single strike for a fight to end. For a man whose career has spanned every era of the sport, it was a fitting homage to the adage that the fight can end at any time. “Hendo” may not have a proper UFC belt on his résumé, but if anyone deserves the title “Mr. MMA,” it’s Henderson.MIKE FRIDLEY: The improbable rise from being dubbed “Decision Dan” for his frequency of taking it to the cards — and quite often controversial judges’ nods — to being remembered as one of the sport’s premier finishers is how I’ll tell Henderson’s story years from now. In what is becoming an analytic-driven sports world, the numbers paint a picture of a fighter that …

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