"Jake had a great game plan. He covered well on top and stayed there, and I did a very bad job getting up. He deserves all the respect. That's the thing about this sport, you never know until it's all the way over. I knew I hurt him real bad [in round one] but didn't land those next couple of punches to finish him off and he battled back and had a big heart to keep going. I was surprised at myself that I wasn't able to get up and out [of his mount]. I didn't want him on my back. I think that's why he goes to the mount. He doesn't do a whole lot of damage there but he does enough to get guys to roll over. I felt kind of flat on my back -- I don't think I was in danger during the fight but he controlled me real well. [The weight cut] was a little rougher than normal but I don't want to place blame on anything other than my performance."
Longtime mixed martial arts veteran Dan Henderson speaks to the media following his disappointing unanimous decision loss to Strikeforce Middleweight Champion Jake Shields at last night's "Nashville" event at the Bridgestone Arena in Tennessee. "Hendo" came out guns blazing in round one, nearly finishing the grappling guru with a fistic assault that had the crowd on its feet. Shields however, wasn't going away without a fight and battled back with a stifling combination of takedowns and top control. Jake Shields retains his 185-pound title and Henderson goes home empty handed. Anyone want to take a guess at who the former PRIDE and UFC star fights next? A return to light heavyweight to face Gegard Mousasi? Anyone?
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