UFC 204 Primer: ‘Repeat, or Revenge’ in England’s Second City

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It seems from the outside looking in that the sports world in the United Kingdom is very London-centric. The national soccer team plays in Wembley; the rugby team plays in Twickenham; most of the big fights take place in the O2 Arena; and the likes of Wimbledon and Lords hold huge events in the city that hosted the 2012 Summer Olympics.

While London undoubtedly ranks as the No. 1 sports city in the U.K., Manchester runs a close second. Manchester United and Manchester City are the two biggest-spending soccer clubs in the world, and much of the rugby league is centered in Manchester, along with the world’s premier cycling team. Meanwhile, local world boxing champions Anthony Crolla and Tyson Fury were both scheduled to fight for world titles in the city this year. That puts the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s latest visit to the Northern capital of England in good company.

For sports fans in that part of the world, seeing elite sports teams or athletes compete has become the norm, not the exception -- unless you’re an MMA fan, of course. Apart from the odd outlier, almost all MMA on this side of the globe consists of good regional talent or the UFC’s second string. That changes to an extent with UFC 204 on Saturday, as the middleweight championship will be up for grabs inside the Manchester Arena. There, Michael Bisping will defend his 185-pound title against Dan Henderson in a five-round main event that headlines a deep card. It will be held late at night in the United Kingdom to accommodate the American pay-per-view audience, and while the start time creates some social hurdles, it was a necessary evil to attract some top names and at least one fight that cannot be missed.

When I say a fight that cannot be missed, I mean a fight at this exact moment. If you had told MMA fans a year ago that Bisping-Henderson would headline a UFC pay-per-view, they probably would have laughed at you. As we know, everything changed when Bisping knocked Luke Rockhold stiff with the left hand heard around the world at UFC 199 on June 4. That same night, Henderson hinted at retirement after shutting off Hector Lombard’s lights. At the post-fight press conference, neither Bisping nor Henderson seemed to give much thought to a rematch. Yet, that’s exactly what we got.

Past history -- Bisping has a score to settle with Henderson -- was behind the matchmaking more than rankings, as Henderson currently sits at No. 13 on the official UFC rankings at 185 pounds. However, there is also another reason why this makes sense. Bisping and Henderson are actually well-matched. If the belt was not in the picture, the decision to book the rematch wouldn’t even be in question. It would go down as two old foes who are a little past their primes going at it for a second time. Henderson wants to cement his dominance over the Brit after scoring a brutal knockout against him at UFC 100, while Bisping gets another crack at the man who made him a permanent fixture on highlight reels. This is England vs. America, “The Manchester Derby,” if you will.

Much like their first fight, the Bisping-Henderson rematch looks like a game of cat and mouse. Bisping will try to use his speed and skill to pick off his challenger, while Henderson will load up on his famous right hand in an attempt to find the target once more.

What happens inside the cage is only half the story here. Bisping has the obvious step of getting through his first title defense and beating a man who has already beaten him. For Henderson, it goes a little beyond that. In speaking to the Talking Brawls podcast, “Hendo” admitted this could be the last time he competes inside the Octagon.

“That is my plan,” Henderson said. “Win or lose, I’m ready mentally to retire. My body could still probably go another two, three years more. I’ve put it through enough. I’m ready to take it a little bit easier.”

That adds another layer of intrigue to the UFC 204 main event, because of what Henderson has accomplished in his career. A former Strikeforce and two-division Pride Fighting Championships titleholder, he will attempt to go out on top by capturing a belt that has already eluded him. Henderson has long been considered one of the all-time greats, but after losses to Quinton Jackson and Anderson Silva, contract squabbles and the cancellation of his UFC 151 title bid against Jon Jones, Henderson seemed destined to retire without ever getting his hands on Ultimate Fighting Championship gold. His rematch with Bisping gives him an opportunity to make his previous failures irrelevant.

Henderson needs to look no further than his opponent for inspiration. Bisping was in a worse position than “Hendo” when faced Rockhold, having fallen short in one title eliminator after another. Before he upset Rockhold on short notice, it appeared as though Bisping would never even fight for a UFC championship, much less win one. That victory changed the story of his career forever.

Although it has now been postponed, Fury was scheduled to defend the heavyweight boxing championship in a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko at the same arena in which Bisping will confront Henderson. It had been labeled “Repeat, or revenge.” That sounds about right for this one, too.