Prime Dan Henderson vs Lyoto Machida

"Enter the Dragon"??

This would be the "hEND O' the Dragon" bwahahahahahahaha



(only i mean the other way around. **** that dont work. ehhhhh **** it roflicopter)

 

I have to go with Lyoto on this one. Same tactics he uses against everyone. Stay away - strike when there are openings. Henderson won't be able to deal with the attacks from all angles.

 

Let's use the Ortiz and Evans' fights for comparison. In both fights - neither of the wrestlers were able to get close to Machida to initiate a clinch. Although Evans isn't a Greco Roman style wrestler - he is easily as explosive and quick as anyone that has come along - yet he couldn't even touch Machida. Henderson's striking has always been pretty much limited to that Hail Mary overhand right. A striker as versatile as Machida would walk Hendo into kick and punch combos all night long. Lyoto's jiujutsu is strong enough that even if Henderson could throw him and work his ground and pound - that he wouldn't be able to do anything effective.

 

Terrible examples. Neither Ortiz nor Evans are ANYTHING like Hendo at ALL.

 

:bbbWell freaking back up your argument or have a tall cold glass of STFU!

 

There's no argument. You're comparing apples to oranges. Their styles are completely different. It's like comparing Chuck Liddell with Randy Couture cause they both started out with wrestling.

Hendo is different from Ortiz who's different from Rashad who's different from Hendo.

I think Hendo would lose as much as I'd like him to win but I think he'll get couple of good punches and pummels on Mach and possibly give him a first taste of what a brawl is like.

 

Unless one is using Randy Couture for the comparison - it's a bit difficult to find a fighter that has Henderson's grappling style and skill so we just have to extrapolate from Machida's past fights to the best of our ability. Simply - I think Henderson will have the same problems cornering Machida that everyone else has experienced. Henderson might be a bit more aggressive than Ortiz or Evans - which would only play further into Machida's hands. Lyoto's timing is impeccable. I still can't believe he landed one of those old school double karate kicks on Tito Ortiz and landed in a perfect stance. This guys is truly gifted.

 

I still think a strong wrestler could pin Machida down and lay n' pray his way to a victory...if he could manage a takedown. However, I don't see Hendo being that guy. At this point, landing a solid double-leg without getting kicked to death seems like an impossibility.

 

Hendo has got a good striking style, he is in and out and does a lot of damage, he could out strike Wandy... it says it all. Hendo is one of the greatest MMA fighters ever and he has proved it on many occasions,

Machida is the man of the moment and he has the best skills at the moment, in the sport the skills constantly develop and the fighters who fight today are better than the fighters 4 years ago when Hendo was regarded as Machida is now.

If they both fought 100 times i think Machida would win 60 times and Hendo would win 40 times

 

Agreed. I was going to write in the 'how do you beat Machida?' thread the other day that I thought Hendo had the style to beat him.

Even purely in terms of wrestling; Hendo is on another level.

Secondly, he would not circle around doing sweet FA like Evans did. Hendo would be in his face punching and clinching and mauling him all fight long. Don't forget closing the distance against Machida is not as hazardous an occupation as it is against say, Cro Cop or Anderson Silva - he's not that sort of a devasting one-strike KO striker. If you look at how Machida finished Evans on saturday, with his chin up in the air, and imagine him versus Hendo in a wild exchange - if he wanted to check chins and power, he'd lose. And I don't think he would be able to avoid those sort of exchanges, especially against a younger Hendo who was a little faster and even more agressive than he is now.

If it took place in a ring, I feel Machida stands no chance and gets out-hustled and mauled. In a cage he would stand a better chance by using the space, keep the fight at distance and scoring a decision victory.

People now I think waaaaay underestimate Dan Henderson; he's declined quite a bit in recent years in my opinion, especially in regards to his stamina, but hes still competitive with or beating the best in a division in which he's pretty much the smallest guy, and has beaten guys who are in an absolute sense better fighters than Machida.

 

Machida would **** up any version of Henderson IMO.

The only person that voted for Hendo must have been really bored.

 

Speaking of terrible examples - this is a perfect example of one. You've pulled Machida into some theoretical punching exchange ignoring the fact that Machida is the more experienced striker with a lifetime of experience punching and kicking in combination - not just throwing a right hand as Dan Henderson does. In terms of striking - Henderson has no answer for Machida. His right hand pucnhes will be countered all night long with a variety of kicking and punching combinations. Henderson's only chance is to close the gap as quickly as possible and take Lyoto down to apply his ground and pound tactics. Closing the gap against Machida is easier said than done - and plays into his strategy of counterstriking advancing opponents.