Sports

Murrieta is Home Base for World Champion Fighter Dan Henderson

Dan Henderson, a four-time world champion MMA fighter, calls Southwest Riverside home.

More than 200,000 people live in the twin cities of Murrieta and Temecula. Of those, one of them is a world-famous veteran UFC fighter, two-time Olympic wrestler and four-time Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world champion.

Dan Henderson, 40, a resident of Temecula, was honored by the City of Murrieta with a proclamation, as was his business partner and former co-athlete Heath Sims. Sims is a former Olympian who finished in the top 10 in Sydney in 2000 and holds several state, national and world titles. The duo own Team Quest MMA Fitness, a training center for professional fighters, on Date Street in Murrieta.

“He is one of the most recognized, most popular fighters in the world,” said Mayor Randon Lane about Henderson. “Dan and his group have brought a lot of recognition to Murrieta.”

Councilman Alan Long has a long history with Henderson. The pair grew up wrestling together in the second and third grades, Long said. Long lived in Murrieta; Henderson in Apple Valley. Long went to Temecula Valley High School; Henderson went to Victor Valley High School. The two competed on the same travel wrestling team, and fought on a national wrestling team together.

“Back in those days, Murrieta and Apple Valley were known for their wrestlers,” Long said as Henderson was being honored.

“Dan knew no pain and along the way, he learned how to inflict pain,” Long said.

Henderson, who is married and the father of three, is now going for his fifth MMA world title on March 5 in Columbus, Ohio, with Strikeforce. The fight will air on Showtime. Henderson signed with the Strikeforce organization about a year ago, and said he typically does three fights a year.

“It’s the challenge of it. It’s a fun job,” Henderson said during an interview at the Team Quest gym.

When not training, Henderson helps coach fighters who come to Murrieta from different corners of the world to train at his gym and fight with Team Quest.

“We have guys that move out here from Belgium, France, Brazil. They love it out here,” he said.

Henderson is also known for his appearances on season 9 of “The Ultimate Fighter,” a reality TV show on which he coached fighters living in a house together. At the end of the season, Henderson fought fellow UFC coach Michael Bisping, knocking him out. It was the most watched event of the organization’s history.

On a recent weekday in Murrieta, Henderson trained with Frankie Lester, also a cast member on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Click here to see a complete list of the 20 professional fighters on Team Quest.

Henderson owns Clinch Gear, an MMA apparel brand. He came from a line of wrestlers, as his father and brother were both into the sport. As for his own son, Henderson said he is playing little league in Temecula and looking forward to attending a national little league tournament at Cooperstown Dream Park in Cooperstown, NY. Henderson has two daughters; his wife's name is Alison.

About receiving a City of Murrieta proclamation, Henderson said: “It is a great thing to have your community recognize you for what you’ve been trying to accomplish.”


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