MMA star Dan Henderson, former Strikeforce World Champion Renato “Babalu” Sobral and Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker participated in a national media conference call to discuss the highly anticipated rematch between the fighters in the main event of Strikeforce: Henderson vs. Babalu on Saturday, Dec. 4 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis, MO., live on Showtime.
Here are some highlights of what Dan Henderson said about:
Fighting At 205 Pounds:
“As I said before, it is up to the matchup. Just give me a good fight and I will fight at that weight. I have always felt comfortable at 205. I have never felt weak or out-powered. I can eat a good meal the night before the fight. It means it’s one less thing I need to worry about before the fight. I am hanging out at 203, 204. I don’t think the age is an issue, just trying to get smarter with my training and making sure I am really listening to my body and getting enough rest. “
Has Cutting Weight Hurt His Past Performances?
“It’s hard to say for sure, but knowing the condition I was in. I just didn’t have the energy I should have had. Halfway through the first round I was so tired and with my conditioning there is no reason I was so tired. Babalu is not close to the same style as Jake Shields. He has an exciting style and he is well-rounded. He has not had a problem standing up and trading punches. He throws a lot of kicks and obviously submits a lot of guys here and there but they are two totally different styles as far as I am concerned.”
Is His Fight With Babalu A “Must Win” ?
“I feel like I am out there to win, and to make sure I win every fight. Sometimes it doesn’t work out that way, but I don’t feel like it’s a do-or-die situation. I am not going to retire if it doesn’t go my way, but I feel very confident in my training for this fight. Hopefully it won’t be an issue.”
Did He Expect To Still Be Fighting In 2010?
“No. I had no idea I would be in this sport for this long. My first fight was in 1997, so it’s been 13 years. When I quit wrestling in 2000, I was going to fight full-time for a couple of years but at that time my body felt more beat up from wrestling than it did two or three years later after I quit wrestling and focused on fighting, which has prolonged my fight career.”