[UFC] Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson Set for March

[Rappy Veteran]

Light heavyweight Dan Henderson will move down to 185 pounds to challenge UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva (20-4 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in March.

The announcement was made during the post-event press conference for UFC 78, which took place Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

The championship bout will likely take place at UFC 82. As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported, UFC 82 will take place March 1 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

Silva, one of the world?s top strikers and pound-for-pound fighters, has cruised through the UFC?s middleweight division, posting TKO victories over Chris Leben, Travis Lutter, Nate Marquardt and Rich Franklin (twice). His latest victory came at October?s UFC 77 event in Cincinnati, where he wore down local favorite Franklin with a series of brutal knee strikes ? much like he did a year prior at UFC 64 to win the title.

Henderson, who most recently lost a unanimous decision to UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson in September, was acquired when the UFC?s owners purchased the Japan-based PRIDE Fighting Championships earlier this year. The title fight marked Henderson?s first bout in the UFC in nine years.

Although the former PRIDE champion recently stated he was unhappy with the UFC?s initial offer for a contract extension (he only has one fight remaining on his current deal), he said he was optimistic a new deal would be reached. The fact that the UFC has unofficially announced his next fight likely means a deal is close to being finalized.

That could be a great fight!

[Zoom7000]

I think Henderson is the only fighter currently in the UFC's Middleweight division that can convincingly challenge Silva. Infact, Silva has a very tough fight on his hands! Can wait to see this!

I wonder if the UFC will go for another title unification. I suppose it in inevitable.

[Rappy Veteran]

Yeah I think Silva is a great fighter and theres only probably a few people that can challenge him.

[digipoi]

Very interesting match up. I didn't see this one coming. Silva will be in a fight.

[rajputwarrior]

silva is going to kick his ass