Dan Henderson: “I definitely feel like I can knock ‘Shogun’ out.”

An accomplished wrestler with as many decision wins as strike-based stoppages, UFC 139 headliner Dan Henderson hasn’t always been seen as a finisher so much as a grinder with knockout power. However, his last four wins have all involved a knockout/TKO, including a July victory over Fedor Emelianenko, and to hear “Hendo” tell it there’s a good chance the streak could be five in a row after this weekend’s bout with Mauricio Rua.

Henderson spoke on the subject of ending Rua’s evening before the twenty-five minute mark in a promotional interview with the UFC where he reflected on his recent run of rendering opponents defenseless, saying, “With every fight I have there’s an opportunity to execute and finish guys, and I feel like I’m getting better at that.”

When it comes to Rua, a former UFC light heavyweight champ fresh off a shellacking of Forrest Griffin at UFC 134, Henderson believes he has a firm grasp on what “Shogun” offers as an adversary and is confident in his ability to deal with it.

“Some guys do certain things more than others,” the 28-8 Henderson began. “Rua throws more kicks than some and more knees in the clinch than some. It’s nothing I haven’t seen before. I definitely feel like I can knock ‘Shogun’ out. It’s a matter of putting that power right where it counts.”

Rua Says Focus Has Been on Boxing for Henderson Camp

Interested parties can see whether or not the Californian’s fists will support his words this Saturday night when the PPV portion of UFC 139 starts at 9:00 PM EST. Other fighters set for action on the card include Urijah Faber, Wanderlei Silva, Martin Kampmann, Ryan Bader, Stephan Bonnar, and numerous other notable competitors.

Check out the complete interview with Henderson below:

PHOTO CREDIT – UFC