Dan Henderson is one of the greatest ever, but he's in the danger zone
When compiling the list of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, it doesn't take long to get to Dan Henderson's name. He's clearly one of the top 20 or 25 fighters to have ever stepped into the cage.
The two-time U.S. Olympian was not only successful during his 18-plus-year MMA career, he also was inspirational and highly entertaining. He always sought out the toughest challenges, often fighting men vastly bigger, and never backed down.
He's beaten the best of the best. He's perhaps best known for his takedown of legendary heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko, but this is a man who also has wins over the likes of Antonio Rodridgo Nogueira, Wanderlei Silva, Vitor Belfort, Rich Franklin and Michael Bisping.
On top of that, Henderson was accessible to the fans and a classy, intelligent representative of himself and the sport at a time when the sport needed exactly that. In the early days of the UFC, the perception among some in the mainstream was that these foughters not only fought in but lived in a cage and munched on raw steaks for dinner.
But he's no longer the same man. Henderson was knocked out on Saturday in Sao Paulo, Brazil, by Belfort in the rubber match of their series. It was the second time in the last two years he was knocked out by Belfort in Brazil. Belfort knocked him out on Nov. 7, 2013, and Gegard Mousasi stopped him on Jan. 24.
In addition, Henderson was pummeled badly by Daniel Cormier in Las Vegas on May 24, 2014, though he was submitted in that match. And though he defeated Mauricio "Shogun" Rua on March 23, 2014, in Natal, Brazil, Henderson was hurt badly by Rua's punches several times in that match.
Henderson is 45 years old and no longer competitive with the best in the middleweight division. And when a guy who made his career, and his reputation, by fighting, and beating, the best of the best can no longer do that, what's the point of going on?
It's not like Henderson is punch drunk or showing physical signs of the wear and tear of a long and taxing career.
But the body can only take so many blows, particularly ones to the head. This is sport, after all, and there is an obligation to err on the side of safety.
Henderson has one fight left on his contract and has said he plans to honor it.
A man who has done so much for the sport would make one huge, exceptionally important final statement if he were to walk away now and announce his retirement. It would be a sign to others that health and safety come first, an acknowledgement that all fighters are walking a high wire and that the brain needs to be protected.
The UFC is working closely with Dr. Charles Bernick at the Lou Ruva Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas on a ground-breaking study that tracks a fighter over time and his or her reaction to repeated trauma. It is not shy about advancing its involvement in the study and how it is concerned about fighter health and safety.
If their interest in that is real -- and I do believe that it is -- then how does booking Henderson for another fight make sense?
The problem in fighting is that when the end comes, it often comes quickly and violently. Baseball players who are at the end of their careers can hang around for one last season and, while in many cases they are mere shells of themselves as players, they face no serious health concerns. Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter can go on a season-long retirement tour and soak in the applause from fans and their one-time foes.
But farewell tours carry far too much danger in fighting. There is no point to them.
And the UFC has such brilliant and creative marketers that they could easily come up with a compelling way to allow fans to honor and thank Henderson for his many years of service.
Henderson has done so much for MMA already, but he'd make his most important contribution by setting an example of knowing when to say when.
