Henderson now a free agent

Rumors about Dan Henderson's next fight in the UFC will need to wait.

According to a source close to the former Pride champion, Henderson fulfilled the terms of his contract with Zuffa following a victory over Michael Bisping at UFC 100 and is currently a free agent.

The veteran mixed martial artist, who was told privately and publicly by the UFC he would receive the next title shot against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, is said to prefer a return to the company because of the challenges it offers at middleweight and light heavyweight, as well as the considerable pay-per-view money UFC cards can generate.

His focus is avenging a 2008 second-round submission loss to Silva.

Henderson (25-7), said the source, is open to fighting the pound-for-pound Brazilian great with or without a belt on the line, and would consider meeting him at light heavyweight.

A new contract was on the table during discussions for Henderson to meet RichFranklin on Sept. 19 in Dallas. However, the source indicated, when the fight fell apart after fans reacted poorly to rumors of the bout, a verbal deal between Henderson and the UFC fizzled. Current negotiations were characterized as "slow to develop."

When asked for confirmation, Henderson responded via text, "No fights left on my deal, working on a new one."

Henderson's camp also denied rumors that the 39-year-old American was considering a fight with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.