UFC204 HAS ARRIVED 

Bisping Vs Henderson 

Champion Vs Challenger

One man looks for revenge

October 8th will see Michael 'The Count' Bisping defend the UFC Middleweight title against the man who so viciously knocked him out on that July night back in 2009

MMACasuals is here to give the fastest 'need to know' information ahead of this exciting fight

When?

October 8th 2016 - 
Ring walk 3am BST, 10pm EST

Where?

Manchester arena

How can you watch?

UK Fans - Live on BT Sport 2, coverage starts at 1am BST
US Fans - Live on Fox Sports 1, coverage starts at 8pm EST

Who is the favourite?

Bisping is favourite at 4/9

A first round KO win for Bisping is 4/1

Have they met before?

Oh yes, and in spectacular fashion, Henderson took the acclaim for KO of the year and it's hard to argue with the following video (skip to 11:20 for the KO)

My opinion?

Bisping, coming off the back of an impressive knockout victory over Luke Rockhold (who many claim is the greatest fighter in the current middleweight crop) is going to be like a freight train. I suspect that 'The Count' will come out of the starting blocks firing the leg kicks to Henderson's body to tire him early and to also act as a warning that if he gets close and tries to land another knockout blow then he could be on the end of some vicious kicks.

The stare down after the 204 press conference said a lot for me, with Bisping jokingly touching Henderson in the mid-drift and saying that he felt 'soft'. While this was intended as a joke, I do believe that Henderson's lack of conditioning in his later years is something that Bisping and his coach Jason Parillo will have worked on in training.

For Henderson to win this fight and retire with the middleweight belt will require a KO, given his lack of speed and inability to avoid fast shots from younger fighters. If Bisping doesn't effectively keep Henderson at bay this will give the American the openings that he is so talented at finding and one punch connecting to chin may be all it takes.

If Bisping utilises the speed advantage, keeps Dan out of range with kicks to the body and head and tires the American then it is his fight for the taking.

But,

Taking his foot of the gas as the champion, believing some perhaps exaggerated hype around him in his home town and underestimating the older man could see an upset on the cards and for many this would call into question the future of the middleweight division.

Feel free to debate, argue, agree and most importantly leave feedback on the blog, many thanks

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