By FCF Staff
While rematches in mixed-martial-arts happen all the time they usually don’t take place ten years after the fact, which is what will happen Saturday night in St. Louis, when Dan Henderson fights Renato “Babalu” Sobral for the second time. The two first met in the ring in February, 2000, when Henderson (pictured) scored a majority decision win over Sobral, while competing in a Ring’s tournament.
Having fought numerous times since then and spent countless hours training, it’s no wonder both Sobral (36-8)and Henderson (25-8) aren’t taking much away from their first encounter. Speaking at a press conference yesterday in anticipation of Saturday’s Strikeforce card, here is some of what the former champs had to say about their rematch.
Dan Henderson
“I don't care if I respect an opponent or not; my goal is to win, to go in there and beat the other guy up. It's no secret. I am going to look for a KO.
“I don't care if he absorbs strikes well. I hit harder than the other guys.
“I leave my opponents up to (Strikeforce CEO) Scott Coker and the fans. If they really want me to face someone, I will.
“You can’t take anything from the first fight with Babalu. I’ve never even looked at a tape.’’
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| Sobral |
Renato Sobral
“Everybody wants to be a world champion, everybody wants the title. I’ll fight anybody that brings me closer to that.
“This will be a tremendous fight, don’t worry about that. I’m as prepared for this fight as I can be and will do whatever it takes to finish the fight.
“I’m happiest when I am in the cage and can share my passion with the crowd and TV audience.
“We are totally different fighters than we were 10 years ago.’’
Saturday’s “Henderson vs. Babalu” card will be broadcast on Showtime and will also feature Scott Smith vs. Paul Daley, Mike Kyle vs. Antonion Silva, Benji Radach vs. Ovince St. Preux and Robbie Lawler vs. Matt Lindland.
