Daniel Cormier’s claims on hardest hitting UFC legend he fought backed up by former star who lists brutal injuries

Daniel Cormier recently gave a surprising first answer when naming the hardest hitter he ever faced.

Having fought the likes of Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson and the UFC’s knockout record holder, Derrick Lewis, ‘DC’ is no stranger to dangerous strikers.

While Stipe Miocic may be the only fighter that has a stoppage win over Cormier on his record, the former UFC heavyweight champion wasn’t the name that came to mind.

In an episode of ESPN MMA’s ‘Good Guy / Bad Guy’, Cormier spoke about the insane impact that Dan Henderson landed with when they met at UFC 173.

Cormier’s co-host on the show, Chael Sonnen, wasn’t the only former fighter that seconded this opinion based on his first-hand experience.

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Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesChris Leben shares details of the injuries he withstood when training with Dan HendersonWith 17 of his 32 wins coming via knockout, Dan Henderson is one of the most dangerous punchers we’ve ever seen inside the Octagon.

His infamous ‘H-Bomb’ left many of his opponents dazed and confused, though his training partners were also unfortunately on the end of one of MMA’s deadliest weapons.

Chael Sonnen backed up Daniel Cormier’s comments during the episode of ‘Good Guy / Bad Guy’ by referencing a time where he couldn’t even respond after being hit by his training partner.

After Sonnen reposted a clip from the episode on Instagram, another one of Henderson’s former training partners shared a similar story.

Having competed in the UFC from 2005 to 2013, Chris Leben was a staple of the middleweight division who was a member of Team Quest alongside ‘Hendo’.

Leben wrote in a comment under Sonnen’s Instagram post about his experiences of training alongside the former two-weight PRIDE champion and the damage he took from the American’s power.

“100%. I’ve been on the receiving end of that punch. No fun. Broke my nose, black and both my eyes in practice lol.”

READ MORE: Jon Anik names ‘most worthy’ UFC contender to fight for the BMF title next if Max Holloway beats Dustin PoirierDan Henderson’s most iconic knockout win took place just over 16 years ago to the dayDan Henderson has a remarkable highlight reel, as you’d expect from a fighter who is known for being one of the heaviest hitters of all time.

While his win over Wanderlei Silva in PRIDE may have seen him make history in the promotion as the first two-weight champion, there’s another finish that comes to mind when you look back on the devastating impact of the ‘H-Bomb’.

At UFC 100 on July 11 of 2009, Henderson met Michael Bisping in a heated grudge match following their time as rival coaches on the ninth season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.

Henderson famously detonated a huge right hand in the second round to knock Bisping out with one shot, before landing a brutal follow-up shot on his downed opponent.

Henderson would later challenge Bisping for the middleweight title seven years later at UFC 204 where, after losing a contentious unanimous decision, ‘Hendo’ announced his retirement.