Bisping vs. Henderson Pick
The new UFC Middleweight Champion puts his title on the line for the first time in his home country in the main event of UFC 204. Can he successfully defend the belt?
Tonight’s fight features Michael Bisping (29-7) defending his title against Dan Henderson (32-14). According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Bisping is favored to retain his title, as he is getting odds of -250 to win, while Henderson has been given a money line of +195 to win the championship. These two meet in the main event of UFC 204, which takes place tonight from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. The main card airs live on PPV at 10PM ET.
Bisping won the title back at UFC 199 in June, knocking out Luke Rockhold in the first round in a surprising upset. Bisping took that fight on short notice, but it was his first title fight. Now, Bisping is looking to avenge his most notable loss. These two fought back at UFC 100 in July of 2009 and Henderson had an emphatic second-round KO win and finished it up with a jumping forearm to the face of Bisping’s unconscious body. Bisping has wanted a rematch for years and now gets it because he’s the champ. Henderson is coming off a big upset of his own when he knocked out Hector Lombard in the second round of UFC 199.
Henderson really has no business getting a title fight. He is ranked 13th in the middleweight division right now and is just 2-3 in his last five fights and 3-6 in his last nine. He has poor cardio and a weaker chin than he used to. The only thing he has been able to maintain is power in his hands. However, that power only lasts about five minutes before he tires. If Bisping can avoid that, he will be fine. There really is no reason Bisping shouldn’t be able to easily win this fight as long as he keeps his emotions in check. Look for a second-round submission or TKO finish.
UFC 204 FREE PICK: MICHAEL BISPING -250