UFC 204: Bisping vs. Henderson 2 | Event Profile, Full Results & Legacy
- Daniel Cornmeat
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
Introduction
UFC 204: Bisping vs. Henderson 2. October 8, 2016. Manchester Arena, Manchester, England. Michael Bisping retained the UFC Middleweight Championship in his hometown, defeating Dan Henderson by UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) in a five-round war. Henderson knocked Bisping down twice with his overhand right and still lost.
Their first fight was UFC 100 in 2009 — Henderson knocked Bisping cold with the H-Bomb in round two in one of the most celebrated KOs in UFC history. Seven years later, Bisping defended his MW title in front of 16,000 in Manchester, survived two more trips to the canvas, and won on volume.
Gegard Mousasi stopped Vitor Belfort by TKO in round two in the co-main. Jimi Manuwa KO’d Ovince Saint Preux in round two. The main card started at 3am local time in Manchester; all 16,000 tickets had sold out in minutes.
Contents
Quick Stats
Date: October 8, 2016 (main card began 3am October 9 local time)
Venue: Manchester Arena, Manchester, England (4th UFC event in Manchester; 1st European PPV since UFC 112 in 2010)
Attendance: 16,000+ (sold out in minutes); Gate: $1.96M; PPV: 290,000
Main Event: Michael Bisping (c) vs. Dan Henderson — UFC MW Championship (rematch of UFC 100, 2009; Bisping’s first title defence)
Result: Bisping def. Henderson — UD (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) — Bisping survived TWO knockdowns; won on volume/head kicks; Henderson announced retirement age 46
Co-Main: Mousasi def. Belfort — TKO R2, 2:43 — MW; Mousasi dominant; head kick setup
Bonuses: FOTN: Bisping/Henderson ($50k each); POTN: Jimi Manuwa + Iuri Alcantara ($50k each)
The Build-Up
At UFC 100 in July 2009, Henderson KO’d Bisping with his signature overhand right in round two, then added a follow-up punch while Bisping was already unconscious — a moment that became one of the most replayed finishes in UFC history. For seven years, Bisping carried that result and pushed for the rematch. His MW title win at UFC 199 in June 2016 made it possible.
Henderson was 46 years old and had announced this was his retirement fight. He had nothing left to prove: Pride FC Welterweight champion, Pride MW champion, Strikeforce LHW champion. One final overhand right stood between him and the UFC MW title.
Main Event
Michael Bisping (c) vs. Dan Henderson — UFC MW Championship
Round one: Bisping worked volume from range, throwing head kicks and right hands. Henderson stalked forward and late in the round, landed his overhand right. Bisping went down. Henderson swarmed, landed elbows and punches. Bisping survived. Round two: Bisping increased output. Henderson landed the right hand again; Bisping dropped for the second time. Again Henderson couldn’t finish. Again Bisping survived.
Rounds three through five went to Bisping. Henderson’s pace faded; Bisping’s volume, head kicks, and boxing took over. Bisping set a record for most strikes attempted in a UFC MW title fight. The scorecards: 48-47, 48-47, 49-46. Henderson confirmed his retirement afterwards at 46.
Co-Main Event
Vitor Belfort vs. Gegard Mousasi — Middleweight
Mousasi controlled the first round, pushing Belfort to the fence and negating his early blitzes. In round two, Mousasi baited Belfort into a combination and landed a head kick before following with punches. Belfort went down and couldn’t recover. TKO at 2:43. Belfort’s era as a UFC contender was effectively over.
Full Results
Preliminary Card
Mike Perry def. Danny Roberts — KO (Punches) — R3, 4:40 — WW; Perry establishing KO power
Marc Diakiese def. Lukasz Sajewski — TKO — R2, 4:40 — LW
Leon Edwards def. Albert Tumenov — Sub (RNC) — R3, 3:01 — WW; Edwards emerging WW contender
Damian Stasiak def. Davey Grant — Sub (Armbar) — R3, 3:56 — BW
Iuri Alcantara def. Brad Pickett — Sub (Triangle Choke) — R1, 1:59 — BW; POTN ($50k); spectacular submission
Main Card
Mirsad Bektic def. Russell Doane — Sub (RNC) — R1, 4:22 — FW; Bektic back from ACL injury
Stefan Struve def. Daniel Omielanczuk — Sub (D’Arce Choke) — R2, 1:41 — HW
Jimi Manuwa def. Ovince Saint Preux — KO (Punches) — R2, 2:38 — LHW; POTN ($50k); Manuwa back in LHW title picture
Gegard Mousasi def. Vitor Belfort — TKO (Head Kick + Punches) — R2, 2:43 — MW; Co-Main
UFC MW Championship — Main Event
Michael Bisping def. Dan Henderson — Decision (Unanimous) — R5, 5:00 (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) — MW Championship; FOTN ($50k each); Bisping survived TWO knockdowns; Henderson retirement fight
Bonuses & Awards
Fight of the Night: Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson — $50,000 to each fighter.
Performance of the Night: Jimi Manuwa + Iuri Alcantara — $50,000 each.
Records & Milestones
Michael Bisping — first MW title defence; in HOMETOWN Manchester; evened the series with Dan Henderson at 1-1. Set a record for strikes attempted in a UFC MW title fight per FightMetric. Held the MW title until UFC 213 in July 2017, losing to Yoel Romero by TKO.
Dan Henderson — retirement fight at 46 years old. His professional record stood at 32-15 across a career spanning WEC, UFC, Pride FC, Strikeforce, and DREAM. Known as the most dangerous puncher in MMA history by some metrics.
Legacy & Impact
UFC 204 is the completion of a seven-year story. Henderson knocked Bisping out at UFC 100 in 2009. Bisping spent seven years climbing back to the point where he could get the rematch with the title on the line, in his city, in front of 16,000 of his people. Then Henderson knocked him down twice and he still won. The scorecards were almost irrelevant — Bisping’s ability to survive what broke him in 2009 was the story.
Henderson’s retirement fight ending in a loss to the same man who owed him the most in the sport is one of MMA’s great ironic arcs. He went out swinging, as he always did.
FAQ
What happened at their first fight and why was the rematch significant?
At UFC 100 in July 2009, Henderson knocked Bisping out with an overhand right in round two, then added a follow-up punch while Bisping was already unconscious. It became one of the most replayed KOs in UFC history. The rematch was seven years in the making and only became possible after Bisping won the MW title in June 2016.
How many times did Henderson knock Bisping down at UFC 204?
Henderson knocked Bisping down twice at UFC 204 — once with the overhand right in round one and again with the same shot in round two. Bisping survived both knockdowns and went on to win by unanimous decision on volume and head kicks in rounds three through five.
Was UFC 204 Henderson’s final fight?
Yes. Dan Henderson confirmed his retirement post-fight at age 46. He went out in a five-round UFC title fight in front of 16,000 fans, which is an appropriate conclusion to a career that included titles in Pride FC and Strikeforce.
Why did the main card start at 3am local time?
The main card started at 3am Manchester time (10pm ET) to accommodate North American PPV broadcast schedules. Despite the unusual time, all tickets sold out within minutes and the arena was packed.
What happened to Bisping’s MW title after UFC 204?
Bisping defended the title against Anderson Silva at UFC Fight Night 93 in February 2017 (win by UD), then lost the belt to Yoel Romero at UFC 213 in July 2017 by TKO in round one. He subsequently lost to Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in November 2017.
References
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