Dan Henderson To Defend Strikeforce Title This Fall, Likely Against Gegard Mousasi-Mike Kyle Winner

Dan Henderson

Newly crowned Strikeforce light heavyweight champion Dan Henderson will likely make his first title defense against the winner of Gegard Mousasi and Mike Kyle this fall.

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker confirmed the match-up to MMAWeekly.com on Wednesday.

“Gegard fighting Mike Kyle is going to be the front runner to the title fight against Dan Henderson,” he said. “I think that fight will happen some time in the fall.”

Although a date and venue are yet to be determined for the light heavyweight title fight, Coker advised that September and December are targeted months for the semi-final and final bouts of  the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix. There is a strong possibility Henderson vs. Mousasi or Kyle could take place at the September card, but nothing is confirmed as of yet.

Henderson (27-8) won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title at Strikeforce: Feijao vs. Henderson earlier this month. In doing so, he collected the third major belt of his career, and in a decisive fashion, getting the TKO win over Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante.

Mousasi (30-3-1) hasn’t seen action in the Strikeforce cage since losing the light heavyweight title to Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal at Strikeforce: Nashville in April of 2010. Since then, however, he competed in the Dream Light Heavyweight Grand Prix, capturing their 205-pound title in the process.

Kyle (18-8-1) was previously seen taking on the last man to beat Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva, in a heavyweight bout at Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu 2. The bout ended with Silva knocking out the undersized Kyle in the second round.

MMAWeekly.com will continue to follow up on the date of the fight as more information becomes available.