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By Trent Reinsmith on November 4, 2010
By Trent Reinsmith on November 4, 2010
When Dan “Hendo” Henderson faces Renato “Babalu” Sobral at the December 4th Strikeforce event, there will be more at stake than a win or a loss on their mixed martial arts records.
Strikeforce president Scott Coker has said that the winner of the fight will be next in line for a title shot against Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante.
Coker, speaking to MMAWeekly.com offered, “Right now my feeling is Dan Henderson fights ‘Babalu’, the winner should be fighting Rafeal ‘Feijao’. To me, I think the winner will probably be granted a title shot.”
Henderson made his debut with Strikeforce in April of this year, competing in a bout against Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields. Shields retained his title in that bout via a unanimous decision. Henderson’s mixed martial arts record, after the loss to Shields, stands at 25-8.
Sobral, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, defeated Robbie Lawlor by unanimous decision in his last bout in June of this year. Sobral has an overall MMA record of 36-8.
Henderson will be moving up one weight class for the Sobral fight. After Henderson’s loss to Shields, Coker relayed the following, “I talked to Jordan, his (Henderson’s) manager, and they said they probably want to fight at 205 instead of 185. (They) felt that the weight cut was too much.”
Henderson and Sobral have fought in the past. In February 2000, Henderson defeated Sobral by split decision en route to capturing the 1999 King of Kings tournament for the Japanese RINGS promotion.
Henderson had this to say about that first fight and the upcoming rematch, “I’m a different guy and he’s a different guy now. It’s almost like it’s not even a rematch. It was in a different organization, and with different rules. No punches to the head on the floor, and they stand you up very quickly, too. It really makes it a different fight ... There are a lot of tough fights at 205, and ‘Babalu’ is one of them. That one will be very exciting.”
Strikeforce president Scott Coker has said that the winner of the fight will be next in line for a title shot against Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Rafael "Feijao" Cavalcante.
Coker, speaking to MMAWeekly.com offered, “Right now my feeling is Dan Henderson fights ‘Babalu’, the winner should be fighting Rafeal ‘Feijao’. To me, I think the winner will probably be granted a title shot.”
Henderson made his debut with Strikeforce in April of this year, competing in a bout against Strikeforce middleweight champion Jake Shields. Shields retained his title in that bout via a unanimous decision. Henderson’s mixed martial arts record, after the loss to Shields, stands at 25-8.
Sobral, the former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, defeated Robbie Lawlor by unanimous decision in his last bout in June of this year. Sobral has an overall MMA record of 36-8.
Henderson will be moving up one weight class for the Sobral fight. After Henderson’s loss to Shields, Coker relayed the following, “I talked to Jordan, his (Henderson’s) manager, and they said they probably want to fight at 205 instead of 185. (They) felt that the weight cut was too much.”
Henderson and Sobral have fought in the past. In February 2000, Henderson defeated Sobral by split decision en route to capturing the 1999 King of Kings tournament for the Japanese RINGS promotion.
Henderson had this to say about that first fight and the upcoming rematch, “I’m a different guy and he’s a different guy now. It’s almost like it’s not even a rematch. It was in a different organization, and with different rules. No punches to the head on the floor, and they stand you up very quickly, too. It really makes it a different fight ... There are a lot of tough fights at 205, and ‘Babalu’ is one of them. That one will be very exciting.”
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