There was a time when Jon Jones was meant to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151. The bout was cancelled but perhaps the memories of what could have been still roll with Henderson. And that became obvious when the fighter recently remarked about the same.

All of this comes after Jones was in the headlines for two different reasons. First, his match-cancelling injury, and second because someone demanded that his title be stripped away from him. Now, with Henderson’s remark, a little bit more drama gets added to the business. Here’s what he said.

Dan Henderson on the canceled bout

UFC 151 was going to be huge. It was a planned bout between heavyweight champion Jon Jones and the then-former Pride and Strikeforce champ Henderson. However, it didn’t quite go through as Henderson ended up pulling out of the match owing to an injury.

Once he was out, Jones too dropped out because he didn’t want to face a replacement. And the replacement was an entertaining bout too. It would have been none other than Chael Sonnen, the best middleweight contender at the time. So, what are Henderson’s thoughts about it over a decade later?

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“I was 100% certain I was going to beat the f*ck out of him,” Henderson said recently in an interview with ESPN. “I absolutely would have beat him up in my mind. I was so prepared, not just physically prepared but tactically, my game plan, everything. And being used to longer guys, I just was so ready, and I think all my training partners would attest to that.”

Clearly, Henderson was more than prepared for the fight. Unfortunately, tearing his MCL meant he had to drop out whether he liked it or not. Today, Jones is still a champion of the heavyweight division who most recently dropped out of a Stipe Miocic fight due to a torn pectoral muscle.

Check out how fans reacted to Henderson’s claims.

Fans react to Henderson’s confidence

The UFC fandom is always ripe with smart and snarky responses to just about anything. So obviously the fans brought their full force as they commented about Henderson’s confidence about beating Jones. Here are some of the best replies. And one of the replies was from Jones himself!

“How can you confidently say that when I’ve already choked you out?” Jones wrote reminding Henderson of a grappling match between them at Submission Underground 2.

“Gotta love the confidence but no Dan”

While some fans didn’t agree with him, others reminded him of humbler times.

“Didn’t dc toss you in the air like a toy?”

“Why Would I Hold Him Down When” – Joe Rogan Threatened a Heckler by Sending UFC Champion Dan Henderson To Confront Him

“Why Would I Hold Him Down When” – Joe Rogan Threatened a Heckler by Sending UFC Champion Dan Henderson To Confront Him

Yet others didn’t find the statements intellectually appealing enough.

“Nobody said Hendo was the smartest”

“Everyone has a plan until they get knee stomped”

“He and Rumble are some of the only contenders in the Jones era that he didn’t fight”

Finally, some fans rooted for Henderson.

“Would’ve. One H bomb and Jon isn’t anywhere near the top of the GOAT list.”

“The Dan Henderson slander in the comments is insane he’s one of the hardest hitting UFC fighters of all time”

So it’s clear, perhaps there is no way to tell whether or not Henderson could have won that bout. However, the past shows that he’s already lost to Jones once. Does this mean he would lose to him once again if it ever formulated?

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.

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