MMA: Oddsmakers not counting out Henderson

[Shame About Ray]

MMA: Oddsmakers not counting out Henderson

Anderson Silva is favored to retain his UFC Middleweight belt but oddsmakers aren’t totally discounting Dan Henderson’s chances of pulling an upset.

Henderson, the current Pride Middleweight and Welterweight Champion, is listed as the current underdog but is almost even money at +105. Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is listed at -135 for Saturday night’s fight, the main event of UFC 82: Pride of a Champion.

“This has all the makings for a classic fight,” stated Sportsbook.com Spokesman Dave Staley. “If the fight goes to the ground, it will be interesting to see if Henderson’s world class wrestling skills or Silva’s submission skills prevail.

“If they decide to stay on their feet, will Henderson’s jaw be able to withstand Silva’s elite striking skills. We are early in the year but when it’s all said and done, this could be the best fight of 2008.”

Silva, a former Pride fighter himself, has walked through everyone he has faced since joining the UFC in 2006, including former middleweight champion Rich Franklin. Arguably, the top pound for pound fighter in the sport today, Silva has perhaps the most complete fight game in the UFC, thanks to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt coupled with extensive training in Muay-Thai.

It is his Muay-Thai background that has absolutely devastated his UFC opponents. In his five fights, four of them have ended by KO or TKO; including a violent barrage of knees, elbows and fists en route to capturing the title from Franklin in October of 2006. The result wasn’t pretty for Franklin as his nose was relocated to the other side of his face.

In Dan Henderson, Silva will face his toughest challenge since entering the UFC. With almost 10 years of MMA fighting to his resume, Henderson has fought some of the biggest names in the sport over the years including: Wanderlei Silva, Antonio Nogueira, Vitor Belfort and most recently UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

Like Silva, Henderson is extremely versatile and thrives on the ground as well as on his feet. A former Olympic wrestler, Henderson biggest advantage might be his strength and iron jaw. Often fighting one weight class heavier in Pride, it appears as if ‘Hendo’s’ future in the UFC will be in the Middleweight division.

Even though Silva has been pummeling his opponents, it should be noted that in almost a decade of professional fighting, Henderson has yet to be knocked out.