Henderson’s Move to Strikeforce Could Be a Smart One

It’s no surprise that there has been a lot of debate and discussion surrounding Dan Henderson’s signing with Strikeforce over the last few days.  After all, this is the first time that we have seen a UFC fighter that wasn’t flat-out cut from the UFC go and sign with the promotion, although Dana White insists that he knowingly pushed Henderson in the direction of Strikeforce.  Still, with all the talk about the move, one interesting thing to ponder is, will this move help Hendo’s career in the long run?

Sometimes the best way to determine whether a decision was a smart move or not is to consider the supposed “cons” of the decision.  Let’s look at this from another angle and take a look at some of the criticism that this decision has received, and whether or not there are any merits to that criticism or not.

Henderson Won’t Have the UFC Marketing Machine Behind Him

Well, it’s true that we won’t be seeing Hendo on any UFC Pay-Per-Views or Spike TV specials for at least a couple of years.  Still, though: does that mean that he will fall off of the face of the earth and lose what name recognition that he has gained from his fights with the UFC and his stint on “The Ultimate Fighter”?

I don’t think so.  As Henderson noted when the signing was announced, not only will he fight on Showtime as part of his Strikeforce deal, but he also will most likely fight on CBS, too.  You know, the same network that garnered 5 and a half million viewers for Strikeforce’s Fedor vs. Rogers card?

Sure, the UFC itself has more brand recognition than Strikeforce, but the more that fighters like Henderson consider fighting there, the more credibility they will have.  Average fight fans may be impressed by a guy like Gegard Mousasi, but they may not understand where such a fighter fits in with the “big picture”, or at least how he would fare in the UFC.  With Henderson going over, it will become easier for casual fans to gauge the talent level in Strikeforce, since they are familiar with Henderson’s abilities.

You also have to consider that while Henderson was not one of the very top guys in the UFC, he will definitely be so in Strikeforce.  There’s a big difference between being just one of a dozen or more main-event level fighters in the UFC and being one of the cornerstones of Strikeforce.  So, I’ll go on a limb and say that this criticism is unwarranted: Hendo will have plenty of chances to retain and even grow his fanbase during his Strikeforce tenure.

Henderson’s Ranking Will Drop Since the Level of Competition is Lower

Is it, though?  Now, don’t get me wrong…I’m not attempting in any way to say that if you took Strikeforce’s top ten middleweights and stacked them up against the UFC’s top ten middleweights, that Strikeforce would come out on top.  That is what many people are thinking about when they make this argument.

What they fail to realize is that Henderson isn’t going to fight ten guys in Strikeforce.  His contract is for four fights, first of all.  Who can’t think of four compelling fights for Henderson in Strikeforce?  He could face Mousasi (since Hendo fights in multiple weight classes), Jake Shields, Robbie Lawler and Nick Diaz- all highly ranked fighters.  Furthermore, he has already talked about his willingness to fight Fedor Emelianenko, too.

Sure, that fight may never happen, but don’t write it off immediately.  After all, Strikeforce doesn’t have the deepest heavyweight talent pool.  If Fedor beats a couple more Strikeforce heavyweights (for instance, Alistair Overeem or Fabricio Werdum), there won’t be a whole lot else for him in the division, unless someone like Andrei Arlovski, who gave him a good fight for a little while in their first fight, can get on a roll.

Meanwhile, if Henderson wins against competition like Mousasi and Shields, why wouldn’t Strikeforce throw him in there with Fedor?  And who could possibly say that fighting the likes of Mousasi, Shields, Lawler, Diaz and possibly Fedor would hurt Henderson’s ranking?

The UFC Won’t Want Henderson Back Now

Knowing that Dana White can be, well, a little bit vindictive from time to time (this sentence is a late contender for “Understatement of the Year 2009″), many have already wondered whether leaving the UFC and going to Strikeforce may ruin Henderson’s chance to be welcome there again.  That pissing off Dana White is an easy way to get black-balled for good.

Well, to that, I say…Tito Ortiz.  Enough said.

Henderson’s Value Will Drop and He’ll Lose Money in the End

This last criticism is linked in many ways to the first two.  If you think that Henderson will be facing tomato cans in Strikeforce, or that he needs the UFC’s promotional muscle to remain relevant, you probably would buy into this point.

However, we’ve already tackled both of those issues, and it should be evident that neither one holds water.  As far as Henderson’s actual value, think about it this way.  Would the UFC offer Henderson a better or worse deal if he is to go over to Strikeforce and beat a handful of their best fighters?

Exactly.  If Henderson was able to beat Mousasi or destroy Shields, you don’t think that the UFC would want him back?  If they sign him and he continues to win, they have the guy who dominated Strikeforce.  If they sign him and he doesn’t do so well, it “proves” (not really, but you know how people are) that UFC’s talent level is much higher than Strikeforce’s, after all.  And imagine if Henderson was able to fight Fedor and, you know, win?  I know, it sounds crazy, but we are imagining, here.

Sure, there is no guarantee that Hendo will even face Fedor.  There is also no guarantee that he would beat Mousasi, Shields, or some of the other top Strikeforce fighters.  However, there’s no guarantee that he would have beaten Nate Marquardt, either.  Furthermore, what was waiting for him if he did beat him?  Another fight with Anderson Silva?  Hell, by the time Henderson would theoretically come back to the UFC, Silva could be retired, if he sticks to his plans.

Suddenly, this signing doesn’t sound so crazy, does it?

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