Dan Henderson is a mixed martial artist. Dan Henderson was a two-weight world champion with the Pride FC, as well as a champion in the Strikeforce organization. In addition, the former UFC fighter has competed in two Olympic Games for his homeland, the United States of America.
Henderson did not attain all of his success in a single day. Instead, he had to wait nearly two decades to establish himself as one of the finest.
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Birth & Family
Dan Henderson was born on August 24, 1970, in Downey, California, United States of America.
Henderson was born to his father, Bill Henderson, and his mother, who remains unknown.
However, the details will be updated as soon as it is made known to the wider public.
Also, Dan has one brother, Tom Henderson, and a sister named Selanee Henderson.
Height & Body
As of now, Dan Henderson is 49 years old, with his birthday falling on the 24th of August.
Furthermore, Dan retired from the MMA scene at the age of 45, reflecting the former UFC Middleweight champion’s quality and fitness.
For instance, the California native fought for the UFC Middleweight Championship in his last fight against Michael Bisping.
Even though Dan might look quite small on TV, Henderson stands at 5 feet 11 inches in reality.
Some might say that the former Olympian is quite small for his division.
On the contrary, Dan has answered every question put forth by his opponents, whether big or small, short or tall, as suggested by his impressive haul of achievements.
Facts of Dan Henderson
| Full Name | Daniel Jeffery Henderson |
| Birth Date | 24 August 1970 |
| Birth Place | Downey, California, U.S.A |
| Nick Name | Hendo |
| Religion | Not available |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | Not available |
| Horoscope | Not available |
| Father’s Name | Bill Henderson |
| Mother’s Name | Not available |
| Siblings | Tom Henderson, Selanee Henderson |
| Age | 51 years old |
| Height | 5’11″ (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 84 kg (185 lb) |
| Zodiac Sign | Virgo |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Net Worth | $8 million |
| Division | Middleweight, Light-Heavyweight |
| Married | Yes |
| Spouse | Rachel Malter |
| Children | Sierra Henderson, Reese Henderson |
| Profession | Mixed Martial Arts |
| Reach | 74 inch ( 188cm) |
| Style | Wrestling |
| Team | Team Quest (1999-present), Dan Henderson Fitness Center |
| Fighting out of | Temecula, California |
| MMA Record | 32-15-0 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Autographed Items |
| Last Update | May 2022 |
Net Worth
Dan Henderson is worth $8 million, massive for an MMA fighter. Furthermore, during his time with the UFC, Dan was one of the most well-paid fighters.
It is mainly because the former UFC middleweight champion was also one of the best fighters fighting in several divisions.
For instance, the 49-year-old received over $1.54 million for his last two fights with the UFC.
First of all, at UFC 199, Henderson earned a staggering $860,000 which included $600,000 to show, $200,000 win bonus, $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus, $30,000 Reebok sponsorship.
Secondly, the former Olympian received a total of $680,000 for his last fight for the UFC at UFC 204 in a Middleweight title fight against Michael Bisping.
Similarly, Dan has earned a lot of money fighting for various MMA organizations contributing to the 49-year-old’s massive net worth.
Recordings & Career
Henderson followed his old friend and another future UFC fighter long before he rose to fame with Pride FC as their two-division world champion.
Randy Couture has entered the MMA scene. Dan initially saw MMA as a way to supplement his income while pursuing his aim of making the Olympic team for the third time.
To give you an example, in his previous bout at UFC 204, Henderson remarked,
“I started fighting to make a little money so I could keep wrestling, but it grew into a love for the sport.” My main ambitions in wrestling were set, and I had none in MMA.”
Returning to the topic, the two-time Olympian debuted in MMA in the 1997 Brazil Open Tournament.
Henderson won the Championship after two very rapid finishes, setting the tone for what was to follow in the future.
Dan returned to MMA, this time with the UFC, after a year away from the sport. However, UFC was not as large or well-known at the time as it is now.
Despite a broken jaw caused by a punch from future Welterweight champion Carlos Newton, the California native won his second consecutive tournament.
The two-time Olympian, however, had not yet decided to make MMA his primary focus.
Henderson’s decision was made for him after he failed to qualify for the 2000 Olympic team and also failed to qualify for the World Team Trial in 2001.
More
It was at this moment that Dan decided to make Mixed Martial Arts his profession.
As they say, the rest is history because, at the time of writing, Henderson is probably the most decorated mixed martial artist ever to grace the sport.
To resume, the two-time Olympian won his third consecutive tournament at Rings: Kings of Kings. What’s even more astounding is that there was no weight limit for the tourney.
As a result, Henderson had to face opponents that were 30 pounds heavier than him routinely.
Following his impressive performances throughout the previous years, Pride FC snapped up Dan before any other competitors could.
Only a few could have imagined the impact that Henderson would have on the Pride FC organization as a whole and vice-versa.
To illustrate, the California native won the Pride Middleweight Championship by defeating Wanderlei Silva at Pride 33 while still holding the Welterweight Championship.
Consequently, Dan became the first fighter to hold two titles in two different weight divisions simultaneously in a major MMA organization.
FC Welterweight and Middleweight Championship
To further highlight the two-time Olympian’s achievement with the Pride FC banner, Conor Mcgregor became the only fighter after Henderson to hold two different weight division belts simultaneously in a major MMA organization in 2016.
Specifically, it took nearly 10 years for any fighter to replicate what the 49-year-old had done in 2006.
As a result, UFC swooped in and signed the California native as he was the most popular and talented fighter outside of the company.
Subsequently, in Henderson’s first fight after returning to the UFC, Dan faced Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, and Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva.
In both those fights, the two-time Olympian showcased his champion’s mentality and quality. But, unfortunately, Dan lost both those bouts.
In contrast, Henderson bounced back from his inauspicious start with the UFC and won his next three bouts against Rousimar Palhares, Rich Franklin, and Michael Bisping.
As a result, many fans and fighters thought Dan had earned another opportunity at the Middleweight Championship.
In an unexpected turn of circumstances, the California native decided to sign for UFC’s competitor Strikeforce instead due to his contract expiration.
Subsequently, although losing his first fight with Strikeforce, Henderson went on a winning spree, which included him winning the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship.
Also, Dan secured a knockout victory against MMA legend, Fedor Emelianenko in his last fight with the organization.
People say that “If two individuals are meant to be with each other, then nothing can stop them.”
And this was the case with Henderson and the UFC as the former Pride Welterweight Champion signed with the organization mentioned above.
Subsequently, Dan embarked on his third and final UFC run, which would also turn out to be his longest. However, by this time, Henderson was already 38 years old.
As a result, the California native’s body and reflexes were not the same as during his early years.
Contrarily, Dan still possessed the one-punch knockout ability that made him such a feared opposition.
In his third run with the UFC, the two-time Olympian appeared 11 times, winning four and losing seven bouts. The primary reason for Dan’s bad record being slow reflexes due to his age.
However, Henderson’s fights to win were all via knockouts, which further highlights his punching power.
In his last ever fight in MMA, the California native managed to take UFC Middleweight Champion, Michael Bisping, to the final buzzer as the fight had to be decided by the judges.
Henderson Vs Bisping
Even though Henderson lost the fight, it was not without some flashes of his past form as he knocked down Bisping twice over the course of the five rounds.
Ultimately, Michael proved too durable for Dan as he closed out the fourth and fifth rounds firmly to secure a unanimous victory.
To conclude, Henderson is probably the most versatile MMA fighter to have ever lived, as suggested by his Championships in various organizations and different weight classes.
As a result, Henderson was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on 5 July 2018 for his outstanding contributions to the MMA scene as a whole.
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Wife & Relationship Information
Dan Henderson is happily married to his wife, Rachel Malter, with two children, a daughter, Sierra Henderson, and a son, Reese Henderson.
Aside from that, the former UFC Middleweight Champion has two more daughters whose identities are unknown.
After a long romance, the two lovebirds married in 2014.
There hasn’t been any disagreement between the two since then.
In the same way, the former Strikeforce Light-Heavyweight champion is a family man.
Henderson, for example, spends the most of his time with his four children and wife, as evidenced by his multiple social media accounts.
In contrast, the 49-year-old was previously married to Allison Henderson.
However, the former couple divorced with mutual consent due to a variety of unforeseeable situations.
That was, however, in the past, and it should be left in the past.
Dan and Rachel have been in a happy and healthy relationship for the past six years.
As a result, it’s safe to assume that this will be Henderson’s final marriage.
Social Media Presence
His Instagram has 336,000 users, his Twitter has 511,000 users and his Facebook has 630,000 users.
