Coaches Clash at UFC 100 - Henderson vs. Bisping

BetUS MMA Betting Odds

UFC 100
Middleweights
July 11 -- Las Vegas
DAN HENDERSON -223
MICHAEL BISPING +178

Let's look at the contestants:

HENDERSON (24-7, 10 KO's), the -223 favorite in the BetUS UFC betting odds, has had a storied career that will no doubt make him very difficult to forget. This former All-American wrestler at Arizona State made it to the Olympics not once, but twice, representing the United States in the Greco-Roman event in 1992 and 1996. He began his career at the Brazil Open in 1997, and wound up winning his first nine fights. Along the way he won the middleweight tournament at UFC 17 in 1998. He entered Pride in December of 2000 with a loss to Wanderlei Silva, and even though he lost twice to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira by submission, he kept plugging away in Pride, winning the welterweight title on New Year's Eve 2005 with a decision over Murilo Bustamante. He added the Pride middleweight title in February 2007 with a nasty left hook that knocked out Wanderlei Silva. The UFC absorbed Pride shortly thereafter, and Henderson immediately got a fight with Rampage Jackson for the light heavyweight title. It was a brutal one, and Henderson lost a unanimous decision, then turned around six months later and was submitted by Anderson Silva in a bid for the UFC middleweight crown. Henderson's last fight was on January 17, a decision over Rich Franklin.

BISPING (16-1, 11 KO's), the +178 underdog in the BetUS UFC betting odds, currently resides in Manchester, England, but originally hails from Cyprus. His background is mostly in jiu-jitsu, and Bisping has been involved with mixed martial arts in one form or another since 1994. He won the British pro kick-boxing title, and studied karate extensively. So he was a well-varied background that is ideal for this business. That didn't make him much money, so Bisping took up "regular jobs," then, as opportunities were emerging, he began to look toward MMA, and turned pro in April of 2004 with a win over Steve Mathews. In his third pro fight, he won the Cage Rage light heavyweight title, and stayed undefeated through his first ten fights. He entered the UFC in June 2006 with a TKO over Josh Haynes. Bisping won his 14th straight without a loss when he captured a split decision over Matt Hamill at UFC 75, in what was a hotly-disputed decision, but suffered his first loss at UFC 78 when he dropped a decision - by split verdict - to Rashad Evans, who went on to win the UFC's light heavyweight championship before losing to Lyoto Machida. Bisping then went from light heavyweight to middleweight, and has won three fights, the latest being a decision over Chris Leben at UFC 89.

This fight is, in effect, an "eliminator," which means that the winner will be in line for a middleweight title shot. For Henderson that will present a particularly gratifying opportunity, as he'd get to fight Anderson Silva again. These guys were the coaches for The Ultimate Fighter 9, and Bisping spent much of the show egging Henderson on, so there is some bad blood as we come into this.