At 43, Henderson analyzes: 'I need to rest more'

D. Henderson speaks to journalists at the press conference after his victory at UFC Natal. Photo: Reproduction/YouTube

Rare are the athletes who manage to have a career lasting almost two decades, especially in contact sports such as MMA. About to complete 17 years since his first professional fight, Dan Henderson is a reference in longevity in the sport and remains among the main names in the Ultimate light heavyweight category, especially after the victory over Mauritius Shogun at UFC Natal. At the press conference after the event, Hendo stated that he intends to continue acting, but that his current situation requires specific care.

“I'm 43 years old and I still have fun with what I do. The biggest change I need is in my training, resting more. He (Shogun) hit me with a few punches, but I managed to deal with it. My spirit is still here, as always. My body no longer recovers as easily as it used to, but my head is as it used to be”, said Henderson, who commented on the way he withstood harsh punishment from the Brazilian in the first rounds. “It wasn't good to suffer that punishment, but I wasn't that bad in the first round. In the second I got worse, but I managed to control the fight, take guard and come back well. In the third round I managed to land a good blow and the knockout came”, he added.

If the weight of age is already a burden for Hendo, the North American still had to deal with the hostile atmosphere of the Natal crowd and the strong heat of the capital of Rio Grande do Norte at last Sunday's event (23). The veteran spoke about the weather conditions and took the opportunity to praise his rival Shogun. “The atmosphere was a little hot, even more so inside the octagon, because of the lights. I started a little slow in the two rounds, I had my back against the wall and I knew I would have to go all out in the third, and that's what I did. I haven't even seen the replay yet, and I can't talk about what happened. I'm still enjoying the victory, Shogun is very tough. Their style is to move upwards,” he concluded. With five more fights remaining under his new contract with the UFC, Dan Henderson has a record of 30 wins and 11 losses. The triumph over Maurício Rua interrupted a sequence of three consecutive setbacks by the Team Quest athlete in Ultimate.