Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Should Fedor Emelianenko be considered as heavy a favorite over Dan Henderson as the odds have him? Hansen, Perez, Hobaugh, Hyden, Amadi, Williams and Penick
May 24, 2011 - 4:50:33 PM ROUNDTABLE: Should Fedor Emelianenko be considered as heavy a favorite over Dan Henderson as the odds have him? Hansen, Perez, Hobaugh, Hyden, Amadi, Williams and Penick

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Should Fedor Emelianenko be considered as heavy a favorite over Dan Henderson as the odds have him?

RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Look, I can see making Fedor a favorite over Henderson.  Even though Fedor may be slipping, and Henderson hasn't shown any signs of slippage yet, the fact remains that Fedor is still (some version of) Fedor and will go into this fight with a big weight advantage on Henderson.  One also needs to keep in mind that betting lines aren't predictors of victory; they are predictors of how people are going to bet so that the casinos guarantee themselves a profit.  Henderson's going to win the fight by KO, but people are going to bet Fedor because... well, I don't know why they will but clearly the casinos think that they will and that's all that matters.

ANWAR PEREZ, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

He's only a favorite because Fedor has some clout as a heavyweight champion and more of a "legend." Dan Henderson should definitely be considered the underdog, just not as much as the bookies have him at.  I consider Henderson an underdog in this fight against Fedor, but with Fedor's previous two losses, he may just only come out even in the end.

ERIC HOBAUGH, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I am truly perplexed by the odds makers.  What fights have they been watching?  I know people have a hard time letting go of something that was so special in the past, but it's over.  Fedor is not even close to the fighter he once was and Dan Henderson is as powerful as ever.  I am of the opinion that this fight will send Fedor into retirement.  I think Hendo KO's Fedor early in the second round.  

FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I have no idea why Fedor is such a big favorite in this fight. Dan Henderson is a good fighter, and Fedor hasn't been himself in a while. I'm guessing they're trying to generate interest and hoping that people put bets on Henderson as a longshot. I would still have Fedor favored, just based on his career and Henderson's age, but it should be much closer to Even than what it is right now.

JASON AMADI, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

I'm actually surprised that odds makers have gotten this one right. This really is a "what have you done for me lately" kind of sport, and usually for all the wrong reasons. Henderson's last two fights, coupled with the Bisping knockout from UFC 100, have re-shaped public opinion of him to the point where he's considered to be a lethal knockout artist again. Before he knocked out Michael Bisping, Henderson's knockout power was all but forgotten because he went almost four years without finishing a fight. Not to take away from Henderson's recent resurgence at 205, but most of the fighters he's knocked out have been a bit chinny.

Fedor Emelianenko is still one of the greatest fighters we've seen, and he's never even competed in his natural weight class. Fedor can avoid the takedown, he's a good enough striker to stay away from Henderson's power, he has big power of his own to keep Henderson at bay, and has good enough hips to be a serious threat from the bottom should Henderson get him down. This is definitely Fedor's fight to win, and his track record against blown up middleweights aligned with Team Quest should speak for itself.

ALEX WILLIAMS, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

In Fedor Emelianenko's prime?  He would have correctly been a much bigger favorite.  Nowadays?  Probably not.  Dan Henderson, while not at his peak, is still a very good fighter, and I wouldn't be shocked if Fedor has very little left in the tank.

JAMIE PENICK, MMATORCH EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dan Henderson's going to be a very enticing underdog pick with his recent performances compared to what we've seen from Fedor recently, but at the same time you can't forgot how those losses for "The Last Emperor" came about. Jumping into the guard of a very dangerous submission fighter in Fabricio Werdum and getting out-muscled and out-worked on the ground by a behemoth in Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva doesn't necessarily translate to getting finished by Dan Henderson. Hendo's got the power and ability to hurt Fedor, but we haven't seen Fedor ever get truly finished by strikes. Henderson's not easy to put out himself, and in fact he's never been finished with strikes, but Fedor's submission game could be a definite problem for him if the fight hits the ground. Ultimately this should play out as a close fight, but despite his recent losses the rest of Fedor's history, along with Henderson moving up to fight him, have the odds at the right place for this one.