Michael Bisping and Dan Henderson's near-decade-long feud was one of the most notable rivalries of the UFC's middleweight division in the early 2010s. Two men from two extremely different backgrounds met in the octagon on two occasions, splitting the series 1-1. Having appeared on The Ultimate Fighter, fighting on the historic UFC 100 card, and even having the middleweight title on the line, the rivalry had it all.
However, how exactly did the feud begin? Why did the rivalry get so heated? In order to understand how the rivalry between the two Hall of Famers began, we have to take a look back.
Road To: The Ultimate Fighter
While the Henderson and Bisping rivalry got underway on The Ultimate Fighter season nine, it's important to take a look at how both men got there. Both men's road into the show couldn't have been any different. Heading into the TUF house, Henderson was established as a former two-weight PRIDE champion.
Henderson was already a Hall of Fame-worthy talent by 2009. Meanwhile, Bisping was a young fighter looking to prove himself at middleweight. The British star had recently had his light-heavyweight stint foiled by Rashad Evans and needed a big win at 185-pounds. To add to the stakes, the winner would receive a title shot against Anderson Silva.
The Ultimate Fighter
Michael Bisping was one of the more fondly remembered Ultimate Fighter coaches for a reason. While he was known for his trash-talking already, he turned it up to 11 against the normally quiet Henderson. He quickly got on the nerves of the veteran inside the house.
The trash-talking from Bisping only got worse when the British team dominated Henderson's American-led squad. With the British star hitting the legend from every avenue available on the trash-talking side of things, the bout had a lot of heat heading into UFC 100.
UFC 100
UFC 100 is regarded as one of the greatest fight cards of all time, and for good reason. Brock Lesnar's historic victory in the main event, Georges St-Pierre dominating Thiago Alves in the co-main, and Michael Bisping getting brutally knocked out by Dan Henderson are all memorable moments.
After a back and forth first frame, the former PRIDE champion knocked out the Brit in the second round with a devastating right hand. After Bisping collapsed to the mat unconscious, Henderson landed another massive right hand which many deemed unnecessary. When asked why he did it, the veteran responded that he "wanted to shut him up a little bit", confirming that the chapter between these two wasn't done yet.
Different Paths
Following their encounter at UFC 100, both men went down extremely different paths. For Bisping, many believed he had finally been exposed. Over the next five years, the Brit would go from a stellar 17-1 record to 25-7. By 2015, many believed Bisping's run as a fighter was coming to a close.
For Henderson, his knockout over Bisping gave him a second life as a fighter. Instead of fighting Silva again, he decided to leave the UFC for Strikeforce. There, he captured the light-heavyweight crown and even knocked out Fedor Emelianenko. While he too was getting up there in age by the mid-2010s, he was still regarded as one of the best action fighters in the business.
Bisping's Run To The Title
Following Michael Bisping's loss to Luke Rockhold in late 2014, many believed his days as a contender were over. Instead, it was just the beginning of one of the greatest comeback stories of all time. His next two bouts were wins over C.B. Dolloway and Thales Leites, which earned him a headlining spot against Anderson Silva.
'The Spider' was just two fights removed from fighting for middleweight gold. In his hometown, Bisping pulled off an incredible upset. Knocking down and outboxing the legend en route to a unanimous decision victory, the Brit had captured the greatest victory of his career. The win earned him a short-notice title shot against Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, as he came in on only 17 days' notice.
UFC 199
In a weird twist of fate, while Michael Bisping was fighting Luke Rockhold in the main event of UFC 199, his former foe Dan Henderson was also on the card. While 'The Count' was a massive underdog to the UFC middleweight champion, 'Hendo' was also a big underdog to the explosive Hector Lombard.
It was a night for the underdogs in June 2016. On the undercard, Henderson pulled off an incredible comeback knockout over Lombard. However, what stole headlines was the headliner, as Bisping knocked out Rockhold in one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. With a middleweight division in flux, the new champion soon had a new date with his former foe.
UFC 204
UFC 204 was Michael Bisping's homecoming, his first title defense took place in his backyard of Manchester. His opponent was none other than his former foe Dan Henderson. Despite coming in at 46 years old, the former PRIDE champion still had one of the best right hands in the game. Prior to the bout, 'Hendo' noted that he would retire regardless of the result.
Early in the contest, Bisping got hit with the massive right hand again. Nearly seven years after their first bout, it looked like history was going to repeat itself. However, the champion preserved through that knockdown, and even another second-round knockdown. The Brit fought on and outpointed his foe en route to a unanimous decision victory. The win was the last of his career and closed the chapter on his rivalry with the former PRIDE champion.