UFC light heavyweight, Lyoto Machida, is open to test himself against Dan Henderson as well as a possible drop to the 185lb division according to tatame.com.
Machida is currently recovering from elbow surgery that has restricted the use of his left arm in his training sessions but is scheduled to make a full recovering within the next 20 days. Upon his recovery he muses at a fight with Henderson if Henderson doesn't get his title shot against Jon Jones.
"I'm waiting UFC's suggestion. I guess in April or May, but in case it doesn't happen I'll suggest Dan Henderson, who's a good guy. I know he's on the line for the belt, but if this fight against Jon Jones doesn't happen, I'd like to fight him," Machida said.
Henderson's last bout was unanimous decision victory over Mauricio Rua at UFC 139, having returned from the UFC after spending four fights with Strikeforce. During that span Henderson became one of the few men to defeat Fedor Emelianenko, TKO-ing the Russian heavyweight in mid-2011.
"He's a legend in the sport, a champion in many events, like Rings, Pride, Strikeforce...I'd like to test my technique against his," Machida said.
Presently, Henderson's next bout will be determined by the outcome of the Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis bout at UFC on Fox 2 this Saturday. If Evans wins, he will likely become the next challenger to Jones' title barring an injury. Should this be the scenario, a matchup between Henderson and Machida is possible. Consequently if Davis is victorious, Henderson is believed to be Jones' next matchup.
Machida last fought at UFC 140, challenging Jones for his light heavyweight title. Despite a competitive first round, Jones gained the upper hand in the second stanza when he dropped Machida with a straight left eventually leading to a second round submission win for the young champ.
Due to Jones' success as light heavyweight champion, Anderson Silva recently said that no Brazilian can defeat Jones.
"I don't agree, but it's his personal opinion, we gotta respect. But I don't agree. I believe there are athletes who can defeat him. I guess being well trained is possible, I believe in my work and, within time, I guess I'll have another opportunity. My next step is now Jon Jones, I'm not thinking about it. I'm much more worried about my next fight," Machida said.
Looking ahead, Machida also sees a possible career in the middleweight division as well.
"Well, I have other goals in my division first. But, who knows, in the future, after I achieve all my goals, I can drop," Machida said.
http://www.fiveknuckles.com/mma-news/Lyoto-Machida-wants-to-fight-Dan-Henderson,-open-for-a-drop-to-middleweight.html
