Former UFC and PRIDE star, Dan Henderson and former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Renato “Babalu” Sobral reminisce about their first encounter over ten years ago during their run with the RINGS promotion in Japan, with both men giving their own opinions on what went down that night.
Hendo, speaking via MMAWeekly.com, said:
“That was probably the toughest night of fighting I’ve ever had. That’s about what I remember. I was primarily just a wrestler back then. I learned to stay out of some submissions, so I had a fairly good hold on that, and was working on my striking, but I had a long ways to go.”
“I was wanting to get some good match-ups back then, but that was a tournament and that was the third, fourth, and fifth rounds of the tournament; it wasn’t the first, second, and third. The better guys kind of already came through.”
Sobral, speaking via MMAWeekly.com, said:
“Even though I lost the fight, personally I felt like I won the fight. The judges say I lost, but to be so young and to be over there and to fight in front of the fans, it was an amazing experience. The Japanese fans, they are very cool. Three fights in one night. I was young back then. A lot of great names (in that tournament).”
