Tim Kennedy wants to fight Dan Henderson on UFC 'Fight for the Troops' card

Tim Kennedy

After a big weekend win, what’s next for Dan Henderson? It’s not an easy question to answer, but Tim Kennedy has an idea – and it’s an intriguing one.

This past Saturday in New Orleans, Henderson (31-13 MMA, 8-7 UFC) needed just 28 seconds to score a knockout of fellow middleweight Tim Boetsch (18-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) in UFC Fight Night 68’s FOX Sports 1-televised headliner.

But what’s next for 44-year-old Henderson, who rebounded from a 1-5 skid and possibly staved off a UFC release with the victory – one that made him the oldest fighter in UFC history to score a knockout? MMAjunkie’s Mike Bohn struggled with that very question in his UFC Fight Night 68 matchmaker column.

If you look through the current USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, you see a lot of fighters Henderson has already fought, and you see competitors who are already booked for other matchups. One exception? No. 9-ranked Kennedy (18-5 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who hasn’t fought since a controversial loss to Yoel Romero in September.

As he proposed on Twitter, Kennedy wants to fight Henderson at a UFC “Fight for the Troops” show:

To date, the UFC has hosted three “Troops” shows, which are geared toward and raise money for military personnel. The latest one, UFC Fight Night 31, took place at Fort Campbell in 2013. Kennedy, who has a decorated military career, defeated Rafael Natal in the event’s headliner.

The UFC has announced no immediate plans for a fourth “Troops” show, but a Henderson vs. Kennedy headliner would certainly be a draw.

And for Henderson, who suggested he has no plans to retire any time soon, Kennedy certainly represents a credible opponent.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 68, check out the UFC Events section of the site.