After many hints at a possible return to competition in the middleweight division, recent UFC import Dan Henderson (25-7) today said his first Strikeforce bout will be against 185-pound champion Jake Shields (24-4-1) in an as-yet-unannounced card scheduled for broadcast on CBS.
The former two-title Pride champion made the announcement today on ESPN.com's "MMA Live" after accepting the program's "Knockout of the Year" honors for flattening Michael Bisping at UFC 100 this past July.
"It will be at 185 (pounds) against Shields," Henderson said on the show, a weekly pre-taped internet series shown on the web. Henderson did not name a date for the fight.
However, Strikeforce officials told MMAjunkie.com (mmajunkie.com) on Thursday that the bout is not confirmed and declined to comment further.
Jack Shields, father and manager of Jake Shields, also declined comment when contacted by MMAjunkie.com.
Henderson made waves in December when he defected to Strikeforce after being unable to come to terms on a new contract with the UFC. He and UFC president Dana White have conducted light sparring in the press since the move, with Henderson calling White a "stalker," and White saying Henderson would never again fight in the UFC.
Strikeforce has yet to confirm a date or location for their second CBS-broadcast event, though a source close to the promotion told MMAjunkie.com that officials were targeting the last two weekends of April for the event's date.
If confirmed, Henderson vs. Shields would join Fedor Emelianenko vs. Fabricio Werdum and Gegard Mousasi vs. TBA as bouts expected for the event.
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Originally Posted by IWS Zak
