Michael Bisping Barely Defeats The Retiring Dan Henderson In A Bloody, Wild Brawl

Give it up for @DanHendo!! #UFC204 https://t.co/XNL3lMmHK1

�� #UFC204 (@ufc) October 9, 2016

Mixed Martial Arts is a cruel sport in which no one ever goes out on top, or even near the top. Great fighters whose Wikipedia pages are filled with green win columns start looking like red stoplights as they head home for good. Dan Henderson, at 46 years old, would come incredibly close to putting a perfect end on his career. Alas, despite dropping Bisping multiple times and bloodying the Brit, the judges gave the hometown boy the nod.

Round one was all Hendo, despite looking like the 46-year-old man he is. He cut Bisping’s forehead, then caught him with an H-Bomb that dropped Bisping to the mat where Hendo would follow-up with a flurry of elbows.

Round 2 was Bisping finding his range and showing off his superior cardio until he got dropped AGAIN by Hendo’s H-Bomb after he kicked Hendo in the nuts. This fight was living up to the hype and more. Bisping was bloody and Hendo was getting tired.

Momentum building for @Bisping? #UFC204 https://t.co/Rpc8b5VHfb

— #UFC204 (@ufc) October 9, 2016

AGAIN WITH THE RIGHT!!! #UFC204 @DanHendo https://t.co/gBSadPX2fc

— #UFC204 (@ufc) October 9, 2016

Round 3 was all Bisping. We’ve seen this before in his fight against Anderson Silva — he took a bunch of punishment, then used his incredible cardio to get back into the fight. If the knockdowns counted towards anything (in England), then Hendo was up 2-1. But who knows at this point. Hendo was headhunting.

https://twitter.com/zpgifs/status/784965796338499584

In round 4, Hendo had more urgency despite getting kicked low again by Bisping. Hendo, wisely, took nearly all five minutes to recover. Hendo absolutely started picking up the pace, and was landing good shots to the supremely-active Bisping.

Somehow, the fight goes the full 25 minutes. Henderson was much more active in the 5th, and he was landing with regularity on Bisping and even took him down. But would that be enough?

Would England ever give Hendo the nod?

Nope.

And so, Hendo ended his career on the highest note possible: a controversial decision. Hats off to the legend and the man who gave us more highlights to drool over as he rides off into the sunset.

Thank You @DanHendo! #Respect #UFC204 https://t.co/B6HBKqwCYo

— UFC (@ufc) October 9, 2016

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