Middleweight champion Michael Bisping (30-7) has waited more than seven years for this moment—the opportunity to defeat Dan Henderson (32-14) on his own turf at the Manchester Arena in a rematch Saturday night at UFC 204.
Bisping lost the first fight to Henderson by a brutal first-round knockout at UFC 100 back in July 2009. He will now be going for his fifth straight victory when he defends his title for the first time as a -235 betting favorite (wager $235 to win $100) at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark.
Bisping stunned former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold by first-round KO at UFC 199 on June 4 in Los Angeles to earn the chance to fight across the pond in his home country of England, where he has never lost (17-0).
The 37-year-old Brit, who won the fifth season of The Ultimate Fighter as a light heavyweight a decade ago, has certainly come a long way and evolved into one of the most well-rounded and experienced fighters in the organization. In his last fight in England, he earned a unanimous-decision victory against another former champ in Anderson Silva on February 27.
Meanwhile, the 46-year-old Henderson is a +185 underdog (bet $100 to win $185) on the UFC betting lines and has seen his MMA career wind down lately, stating in July that this will be his last bout inside the Octagon, per the Talking Brawls podcast (via Severe MMA).
A former Olympian in Greco-Roman wrestling for the United States and three-time NCAA champion in that sport, Hendo has gone just 3-6 in his last nine bouts. However, he stunned Hector Lombard with a second-round KO via head kick and elbows on the same UFC 199 card that saw Bisping win the title, prompting the rematch.
In the co-main event, Brazilian Vitor Belfort (25-12) will try to avoid his third loss in four fights when he takes on Dutch kickboxer Gegard Mousasi (39-6-2). The 31-year-old Mousasi also holds a black belt in judo and is listed as a heavy -335 favorite against Belfort, who is a +255 underdog and clearly not the same fighter he once was.
The 39-year-old Belfort posted three straight wins over Bisping, Rockhold and Henderson before dropping two of three, which has coincided with him no longer being able to use testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) since it was banned in 2014. Mousasi has won four of five, including a first-round TKO of Henderson in early 2015.
