When Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin meet in the main event at UFC 93 next Saturday, they'll be fighting at the light heavyweight limit of 205 pounds.But both Henderson and Franklin have fought at middleweight in the past, and they both say they're open to moving back down to 185.
"I'm OK with either weight class," Henderson told me today on a call to promote UFC 93. "I'm right in between so it doesn't matter where I'm at. I would like a title shot at either weight class. I just want to beat some of the top guys there and if I do that I'll get the title shot. It's just a matter of how you do in the fights they give you."
Like Henderson, Franklin said he could fight at either weight class.
"I'm not sure," Franklin told me. "I started my career at 205 pounds then I moved back down and then back up when the UFC asked me. ... I'm a small 205-pound fighter. I just take the fights as they come. The UFC offered me to fight Dan, and after we lined it up they asked me 205 or 185, and I said I'm at 205 right now, I might as well stay here. But I'll just take it on a fight-by-fight basis."
Both Henderson and Franklin said there are pros and cons about cutting weight -- getting down to 185 pounds makes the days leading up to the weigh-in more difficult, but fighting at 205 pounds means they're getting into the Octagon with bigger, stronger opponents.
"I feel much better the whole week of the fight, but the trade off is I'll be fighting guys who are a little bigger than me," Franklin said.
Added Henderson, "I don't like to cut weight if I don't have to."
There are strong indications that the winner of this fight will move back down to 185 pounds after the bout. The UFC plans to set up the winner to coach against Michael Bisping on Season 9 of The Ultimate Fighter, and that fight is expected to happen at 185 pounds. Franklin said he's fine with that.
"If I fight Bisping at 185 pounds," Franklin said. "it's not going to be that difficult to get down to 185 pounds."
