It was confirmed by UFC President Dana White that Dan Henderson will indeed be the next opponent for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Jones was successful in defending his title for the third time as he defeated his former friend and training partner Rashad Evans on Saturday night.

Evans talked about doing the things that one needs to do to defeat the champion, but wasn’t able to implement the game plan. I’m sure Henderson will be a huge underdog against Jones just as all of his opponents have been lately, but Henderson has three things going for him in this fight:

  • He has tremendous power in his right hand (13 wins via TKO/KO)
  • He has an iron chin (he’s never lost via TKO/KO)
  • He doesn’t move backward in his fights(probably the most important one)

We  have seen Jon Jones take punches from guys with heavy hands in the past, as Evans was able to connect a couple of times with punches and a head kick. All of those guys were basically counterstriker’s, and never fully commit to the punch as Dan Henderson does in the fan made video below:

I understand that Henderson has to defend the takedown and overcome the reach advantage that Jones will have. However, one way to overcome the reach of Jones is to come forward and meet him in the pocket. That’s something that Henderson has always been willing to do. If you like in-depth fight analysis, be sure to check Pro MMA Now (www.prommanow.com) for my official breakdown of this fight when the time comes.

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