Henderson: I Match Up Real Well With Jon Jones

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After defeating Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in a thriller on Nov. 19 at UFC 139, Dan Henderson believes he deserves a shot at the UFC light heavyweight title.

Champion Jon Jones defends the belt Dec. 10 against Lyoto Machida. Henderson wants to fight the winner, and he thinks it will be Jones.

“I think obviously Jon Jones is probably the favorite in that one,” Henderson told the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show.” “With his style and his wrestling ability, he should be able to control the fight well. Lyoto likes to stay on the outside, and I think that’s probably not the opponent to do it against.”

Still, Henderson does give Machida a chance in the fight.

“Lyoto’s real quick and he’s a little bit goofy,” Henderson said. “He’s got a nice straight left hand. He definitely could catch Jon Jones. I don’t think Jon Jones’ chin has really been tested much because he is hard to hit. Anything can happen in a fight, but I definitely see Jones picking him apart from the outside and probably taking him down and beating him up.”

Henderson likes his own chances against Jones much better. He’s complimentary of Jones’ talent, but he also questions his experience.

“I think I’m a tough fight for anybody,” Henderson said. “If you’re in a fight with me, you’re definitely going to know you’re in a fight. I don’t know if really Jon Jones has felt that too much in his career. I definitely would test that out. I think style-wise I match up real well with him.”

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Henderson will get the next shot. Rashad Evans is also in the mix. He was rumored to be fighting Jones on Dec. 10 before it was revealed that his hand was injured and Machida would get the shot instead.

“It’s unfortunate that Rashad got hurt, but you know, it’s happened twice now,” Henderson said. “He’s had people step in. … All I know is, if I have to, I’ll pull out the age card and just say I should have seniority here. I’m getting older. Rashad’s got a little more time than I do.”

Although Henderson might joke about his age, the 41-year-old is serious about winning a UFC belt before he retires. He figures he has two or three years left to fight and he wants to go out a champion.

“That’s pretty much one of the last things I’ve got on my list for my career,” Henderson said, “to get a UFC title and keep it for a little while.”

Listen to the full interview (beginning at 58:10).