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Dan Henderson was scheduled to challenge Jon Jones for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title at UFC 151, but Henderson suffered a knee injury and was pulled from the fight.
Henderson has revealed that when he pulled out of the bout with Jones, it was the only fight he pulled out of in 20 plus years of fighting in MMA.
“That’s the one fight I wish I would’ve had that I never had,” Henderson told ESPN (transcript via Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie). “I was probably the most prepared for that fight that I’ve ever been. Just kind of blew my knee out a little bit before the fight. It happened about three, three-and-a-half weeks before the fight when I hurt my knee.
“Still had the idea that I was going to be able to fight. It would’ve been tough, but I would’ve gotten it done. My team kind of talked some sense into me. It just wasn’t a smart idea. That’s the only fight I’ve ever pulled out of after a 20-year career. So I was kind of bummed.”
The whole UFC 151 card wound up being canceled after Henderson pulled out of the fight, as Jones refused to fight a short notice opponent in Chael Sonnen.
Pulling out of the fight still haunts Henderson to this day, as he believes that he would’ve destroyed Jones at UFC 151.
“I was 100 percent certain I was going to beat the f*ck out of him,” Henderson said. “I absolutely would have beat him up in my mind. I was so prepared, not just physically prepared but tactically, my game plan, everything. And being used to longer guys, I just was so ready, and I think all my training partners would attest to that.”
