Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) legend Dan Henderson recently opened up about his experiences fighting in the UFC and Pride, sharing his thoughts on competing in an octagon versus a ring. The former two-division champion achieved great success in his career, particularly in the Japan-based promotion. Henderson spoke with former rival Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson on the Jaxxon Podcast and shared that he needed to take a more tactical approach when competing in the ring as opposed to the octagon.
According to Henderson, it’s easier to cut someone off and corner them in a ring, and it’s simpler to use the cage as leverage to control an opponent during a fight. He believes that one has to be more technical to finish a fight in a ring than in a cage because it’s harder to trap someone in a ring. When asked about his preference for rulesets, ‘Hendo’ shared that both UFC and Pride have their own pros and cons. He stated that he would favor the UFC’s ruleset if they added certain elements, such as knees to the head on the ground, while not incorporating soccer kicks or head stomps.
Having been successful in both the ring and octagon, Henderson’s insights demonstrate how fighters have different approaches to the two formats. Henderson also spoke about his memorable knockout victory over former Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in 2011 during a Strikeforce event. This fight marked Henderson’s final bout with Strikeforce before returning to the UFC and his knockout created a lasting memory for fans.
In the podcast, Henderson shared that he didn’t expect to knock out Emelianenko in the first round, as he had prepared for a much longer fight. He said, “I was expecting to kind of go two-three rounds at least before I’d maybe be able to wear him out. I was gonna get him in the clinch and try and wear him out a lot.”
