Dan Henderson would likely need to knock off a top contender in the UFC before earning himself a title shot

It appears unlikely that Strikeforce light heavyweight champion, Dan Henderson will be granted an immediate title shot should he return to the UFC ranks down the line after UFC President, Dana White revealed a win over one of the top contenders would be necessary to make this happen.
Speaking via FOX Sports, Dana said:

“Well the only problem with (an immediate title unification bout) is that Rashad Evans is next in line should he win this fight tomorrow night (against Tito Ortiz). So this is a big fight tomorrow night for these guys. If Rashad wins, he’s next in line to get the winner of (Jon) Jones vs. Rampage (Jackson) and if Tito wins it puts him back in the top five. Dan Henderson right now, I don’t know where he fits into this whole mix but I wouldn’t have Dan Henderson just jump right in and get a title shot at (205-pounds). He would have to beat one of the top contenders in the UFC.”

Henderson recently knocked out formerly ranked number one fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko in the very first round, cementing his own legacy as perhaps the greatest American mixed martial artist. Can “Hendo” return to the UFC ranks and complete his storied career by capturing yet more gold?