Dan Henderson Net Worth | Celebrity Net Worth
What is Dan Henderson’s Net Worth?
Dan Henderson, a retired mixed martial artist and Olympic wrestler, boasts a net worth of $8 million. He is renowned for being the first fighter in a major MMA organization to simultaneously hold titles in two different weight classes. Henderson also gained fame for his knockout of British MMA fighter Michael Bisping in 2009, a match often highlighted by fans as one of the greatest knockouts in MMA history. Additionally, his 2011 fight against Brazilian competitor Mauricio Rua is celebrated as one of the most remarkable contests in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championships.
Early Years
Daniel Jeffery Henderson was born on August 24, 1970, in Downey, California, to Bill Henderson. He attended Victor Valley High School in Victorville, where he was part of the state champion wrestling team in 1987. The following year, he secured the national junior championship in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling. After graduation, Henderson enrolled at Cal State Fullerton, a public research university in California, and later transferred to Arizona State University in Phoenix, participating in the wrestling teams at both institutions. He earned championships in 1991, 1993, 1994, and 1997. Henderson represented the United States in the Summer Olympics in 1992 and 1996, finishing 10th and 12th, respectively.
Professional Wrestling
In the 1994 and 1997 World Wrestling Championships, Henderson placed 12th and 7th, respectively. He earned a bronze medal at the 1995 Pan American Games and a gold at the 2000 Pan American Championships. After making it to the finals of the world team trials in 2001, where he was defeated by fellow American Matt Lindland, Henderson shifted focus to a career in mixed martial arts, which he began training for in 1997. He entered the Brazil Open Lightweight Tournament, winning the competition shortly after. In less than a year, during his second MMA fight, he suffered a broken jaw at the hands of Canadian fighter Carlos Newton but continued fighting and won that tournament. A year and a half later, Henderson dominated his third MMA tournament, winning all five of his matches and claiming the title of the 1999 King of Kings Tournament champion.
During the 2000s, Henderson participated in multiple Pride Fighting Championships events, winning the 2005 Pride Shockwave tournament and earning the Pride Welterweight Championship. In 2007, he made history by becoming the first fighter in a major MMA organization to hold two titles across different weight classes simultaneously after a knockout victory at the Pride 33 tournament.
In November 2007, during UFC 75, Henderson faced light heavyweight champion Quinton Jackson, who won the match and retained his title. In March 2008, Henderson was defeated by Brazilian fighter Anderson Silva at UFC 82. Later that year, at UFC 88, he achieved a unanimous decision victory against Rousimar Palhares and followed it up in 2009 with a win over UFC Middleweight Champion Rich Franklin at UFC 93.
In July 2009, during UFC 1000, Henderson became the first fighter to knock out Michael Bisping. This decisive victory not only earned him a $100,000 bonus for Knockout of the Night but also solidified his place in the annals of MMA history with what many deem one of the greatest knockouts.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championships
In 2009, Henderson was chosen to lead season 9 of the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.” Later that year, he joined the American mixed martial arts and kickboxing association Strikeforce. Unfortunately, he lost his debut match on “Strikeforce on CBS” against Jake Shields. However, in 2010, he bounced back with a knockout victory over Brazilian fighter Renato “Babalu” Sobral in the first round. In 2011, Henderson defeated Rafael Cavalcante at the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship, knocking him down in the third round. That same year, he recorded a significant knockout against Fedor Emelianenko during Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Henderson.
One of the highlights of Henderson’s career came in 2011 when he fought Mauricio Rua at UFC 61, a match that many consider one of the greatest in UFC history. Though he faced defeats against Lyoto Machida and Rashad Evans in 2013, he earned a rematch victory over Rua in 2014, which brought him bonuses for both Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night. However, the year also saw him lose to Daniel Cormier and Gegard Mousasi.
On June 6, 2015, Henderson knocked out Tim Boetsch just 28 seconds into the first round during UFC Fight Night 68. Later in 2015, he suffered a loss against Vitor Belfort.
On June 4, 2016, at UFC 199, Henderson achieved a knockout victory over Hector Lombard in the second round, earning him a Performance of the Night bonus and the distinction of being the first person to knock out Lombard. He later faced Bisping in a rematch at UFC 204 but was defeated, prompting him to announce his retirement.
Accolades
On July 5, 2018, Dan Henderson was honored with induction into the Fight Wing of the Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Fame.
Film & Television
In the 2012 martial arts film “Dragon Eyes,” featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dan Henderson portrayed a police officer. He also appeared as himself in a 2019 episode of the military drama series “Seal Team” and in the 2005 show “Cubed.” Furthermore, in 2006, he played a driver in an episode of the sitcom “The King of Queens.”
Team Quest
Henderson is the owner of Team Quest Fitness Gym, which conducts mixed martial arts training camps throughout several regions in California and one in Oregon. The gym provides a comprehensive curriculum ranging from beginner to advanced instruction in kickboxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, wrestling, and mixed martial arts, all led by highly qualified professionals to help clients achieve elite fitness levels.
Personal Life
Henderson was previously married to Alison before marrying Rachel Malter in 2014. He has three children: Sierra, Danielle, and Reese.
Additionally, Henderson has Walla Walla Native American heritage through his grandmother, Alice Bergevin LeJune.
All net worth figures are derived from publicly available sources. Whenever possible, we also factor in private tips and insights provided by the celebrities or their representatives. Although we strive to keep our figures as accurate as possible, they should be considered estimates unless stated otherwise. We welcome corrections and feedback through the button below.
