Henderson on his upcoming fight

Henderson on his upcoming fight from:

http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger


"People may think I'm the underdog because they don't know me. But in my mind I'm not the underdog," said Henderson, who has compiled a pro mark of 22-5-0 and is the only fighter to hold the PRIDE middleweight and light heavyweight titles simultaneously. "They will definitely know who I am after this fight, especially after I beat the hell out of Quinton."

Henderson chuckled after making that last remark, but his humor shouldn't be misinterpreted as lack of commitment. He is hell-bent on becoming undisputed light heavyweight champion. There isn't a doubt in his mind he will accomplish this goal.

He's studied every aspect of Jackson's game -- how he delivers powerful strikes, utilizes his speed and escapes submission holds -- and has discovered cracks in the UFC's titleholder's armor. As a result, Henderson is certain he's the better all-around fighter -- physically and mentally.

"I've got a little bit better grappling. I'm a little smarter when I'm out there," Henderson said. "I don't make as many mistakes. He's athletic, but so am I. I feel I have the bigger heart ... I don't have any quit in me."

Fueling this confidence is a common opponent on their ledgers -- Wanderlei Silva. Each man has faced Silva twice. Jackson (27-6-0) was stopped in both of his encounters with the Brazilian, who recently sign with UFC.

Henderson, on the other hand, registered a split. He lost the first bout, in December 2000, by decision. But the long-awaited rematch, which took place Feb. 24, was all Henderson. He stopped Silva with a left hook in the second round to capture the PRIDE light heavyweight title.
Revisiting the bouts with Silva has helped Henderson compare his skills and fighting approach to those of Jackson. And after careful evaluation, he has an idea how the unification showdown is likely to play out.

"Quinton is going to try to take me down a little more than Silva. He's going to try to knock me out just like Wanderlei did," said Henderson, who's devised a way to counter Jackson's solid striking ability. "I've been working on my left hand a little bit more."

But countering any mistake Jackson is likely to make or avoiding being victimized by his strikes aren't the only obstacles Henderson will face. Jackson is a very powerful fighter and uses his strength to elude disaster.

And then there's that right hand. Jackson put it on display May 26 when he KO'd Chuck Liddell in the first round to claims the UFC belt.

"Quinton is more skilled and technical as a striker than Silva," Henderson said. "Quinton's athleticism and explosiveness gets him out of a lot of those mistakes that he makes. He gets caught in triangles and arm-bars and powers out of a lot of stuff that a lot of people don't when they get caught in those positions."

Henderson is confident he has discovered the formula for beating Jackson. Whether it is physical skill or mental toughness, the answer won't be known until they are in the Octagon.