Dan Henderson Talks Turning Down Lil' Nog

Source: Clinch Gear Radio

Mixed martial arts legend Dan Henderson can often be heard prodding UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva for ducking opponents, manipulating who he faces so he gets into favorable match ups.

So it was that some started pointing the finger at Hendo when UFC president Dana White revealed that he had turned down a rematch against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Henderson, who fought and lost via first-round submission to Lil' Nog back in 2005, appeared on Clinch Gear Radio yesterday to explain why he neglected the opportunity to avenge a loss to Nogueira.

"I was under the impression that [Dana White] was still kinda on the fence on whether he was gonna put me in front of Rashad [Evans] or not. That's assuming Rashad wins. He did offer me a fight with little Nogueira and I just didn't think the fans would be interested in that fight and it was a little bit, not as much time as I'd like to prepare for a five round fight so I told him I'd wait and see what happens with the Rashad fight," Henderson explained. "I'd like to fight Jones now, rather than if I took that fight with Little Nog. I wouldn't be fighting Jones for another eight, ninth months. I'm okay waiting a little bit. It was more about having the time to prepare and I did inquire to say hey, I would be interested in doing it if it was a three round fight, I could have time to prepare."

Henderson last appeared in action in November of 2011, putting on one of the best fights in MMA history against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in the main event of UFC 139.

Like FightLine.com on Facebook by clicking the "Like" button below: