UFC legend vs legend rematch of 'greatest fight ever' ended in brutal knockout
03/24/2025 11:28 AM
Dan Henderson put an end to one of his greatest rivalries in brutal fashion 11 years ago.
The UFC legend will always be remembered for badly knocking out Michael Bisping at UFC 100.
However, it was a fight with Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua that secured his spot in the Hall of Fame.
At UFC 139 in 2011, the iconic duo battled it out in a bloody five-round brawl that was named the Fight of the Year and heralded by a large section of fans as the ‘greatest’ scrap in UFC history.
Dan Henderson vs Shogun Rua revisited
Dan Henderson walked away from their first fight with a unanimous decision win, but a rematch was inevitable.
In March 2014, the American fan favorite and Rua clashed again at a UFC Fight Night in Brazil.
Shogun had a hometown crowd behind him, but they couldn’t inspire him to a win over ‘Hendo’.
This time around, the heavy-handed former world champion took the fight away from the judges.
The two men exchanged knockdowns as they picked up where they left off three years prior.
However, Henderson was able to close the show after landing a big right hand in round three.
Rua dropped to the floor and ate several follow-up shots before veteran referee Herb Dean stepped in to wave off their final fight.
Jake Shields recalls Dan Henderson’s freakish punching power
45-fight MMA veteran Jake Shields fought Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler in their primes.
However, he doesn't rank 'The Chosen One' or 'Ruthless' as his hardest-hitting opponent.
Speaking on the Overdogs Podcast, Shields got onto the topic of his toughest opponents and concluded that Henderson takes the spot.
"Man, I fought so many tough dudes," he said.
“Woodley in his prime, Henderson in his prime, that was the hardest I've been hit. He laid me out twice in that first round, thank god I had a good referee… I got up twice and dominated the rest of the fight.
"That was an insane moment from a tough dude… Yeah, I did not have a padded record."
