Lyoto Machida wants to fight Dan Henderson, open for a drop to middleweight
by Hubert Lau on January 27, 2012

UFC light heavyweight, Lyoto Machida, is open to test himself against Dan Henderson as well as a possible drop to the 185lb division according to tatame.com.

Machida is currently recovering from elbow surgery that has restricted the use of his left arm in his training sessions but is scheduled to make a full recovering within the next 20 days. Upon his recovery he muses at a fight with Henderson if Henderson doesn't get his title shot against Jon Jones.

"I'm waiting UFC's suggestion. I guess in April or May, but in case it doesn't happen I'll suggest Dan Henderson, who's a good guy. I know he's on the line for the belt, but if this fight against Jon Jones doesn't happen, I'd like to fight him," Machida said.

Henderson's last bout was unanimous decision victory over Mauricio Rua at UFC 139, having returned from the UFC after spending four fights with Strikeforce. During that span Henderson became one of the few men to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, TKO-ing the Russian heavyweight in mid-2011.

"He's a legend in the sport, a champion in many events, like Rings, Pride, Strikeforce...I'd like to test my technique against his," Machida said.

Presently, Henderson's next bout will be determined by the outcome of the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis bout at UFC on Fox 2 this Saturday. If Evans wins, he will likely become the next challenger to Jones' title barring an injury. Should this be the scenario, a matchup between Henderson and Machida is possible. Consequently if Davis is victorious, Henderson is believed to be Jones' next matchup.

Machida last fought at UFC 140, challenging Jones for his light heavyweight title. Despite a competitive first round, Jones gained the upper hand in the second stanza when he dropped Machida with a straight left eventually leading to a second round submission win for the young champ.

Due to Jones' success as light heavyweight champion, Anderson Silva recently said that no Brazilian can defeat Jones.

"I don't agree, but it's his personal opinion, we gotta respect. But I don't agree. I believe there are athletes who can defeat him. I guess being well trained is possible, I believe in my work and, within time, I guess I'll have another opportunity. My next step is now Jon Jones, I'm not thinking about it. I'm much more worried about my next fight," Machida said.

Looking ahead, Machida also sees a possible career in the middleweight division as well.

"Well, I have other goals in my division first. But, who knows, in the future, after I achieve all my goals, I can drop," Machida said.

 |  (18) Comments flyangler: If Rashad beats Davis I wouldn't mind seeing this fight. If not I think Henderson deserves the fight with Jones. Wandering_Minstrel: Machida is a small LHW. He usually weighs in around 203. He could make the 185 cut pretty easily, I think. I think he should make the drop. It'd bring new life to the MW division and I think he could be a top contender, if not champion, pretty quickly. Giada Esposito: I think the idea of Machida fighting at MW is pretty exciting. Like WM said, he's already a small LHW, he should be able to make the cut pretty easily. Anderson has been talking about retirement for a while now, so it hopefully wouldn't matter that Lyoto won't fight him. He would probably need a couple of wins at MW before he started talking about a title fight anyways. I like the idea of Lyoto dropping to 185 more than him fighting Henderson. I really want to see Henderson vs. Jones or the winner of Jones/Evans/Davis. Hendo has done enough now to deserve a title shot, IMO. seedheadondatrak: I would love to see the chess match between Machida and Henderson, both standing and on the ground. After Jones finishes Rashad and Henderson, match Machida and Hendo in Dec!!! GO HARD: i love the fight... i think its a bad fight for henderson. Am i the only one that wants Machida vs Shogun 3?
HOW WILL THE FRANKIE EDGAR VS. BEN HENDERSON FIGHT END AT UFC 144?
Edgar def. Henderson via TKO/KO
Edgar def. Henderson via submission
Edgar def. Henderson via decision
Henderson def. Edgar via TKO/KO
Henderson def. Edgar via submission
Henderson def. Edgar via decision
TAKE ANOTHER POLL!