Anderson Silva vs Dan Henderson — Fight recap

Anderson Silva submitted Dan Henderson via rear-naked choke in the second round at 4:52, establishing himself as a dominant middleweight force at UFC 82. Silva's striking prowess was evident throughout, landing 47 of 59 significant strikes (79%) while controlling the action for 2:37, including a perfect 16-of-16 body strikes that wore down Henderson's midsection.

Henderson managed only 20 of 40 significant strikes (50%) and secured one takedown in three attempts, but his 3:45 of control time proved insufficient to overcome Silva's superior precision and timing. The Brazilian's head-strike accuracy of 28 of 40 (70%) kept Henderson defending high, creating openings Silva exploited to set up the finishing submission.

This victory solidified Silva's claim as the division's elite striker and signaled his readiness to challenge for the middleweight title.