Benson Henderson said he wanted to fight again as soon as possible upon dropping a narrow decision to Donald Cerrone this past Sunday in Boston. As of Thursday, “Smooth” got his wish.
Henderson (21-5) will step in for the injured Bobby Green and face Jorge Masvidal in the co-main event of UFC FIght Night 63 on April 4. The news of the replacement came via Damon Martin of Fox Sports, and was later confirmed by the UFC.
At UFC Fight Night 59, Henderson came up on the short end of a debatable decision against Cerrone. Afterwards, he told Joe Rogan in the post-fight speech that the UFC could book him again immediately. “You’ve got to accept it. You’ve got to man up and move on.”
That’s what the former lightweight champion will do against the ever-dangerous Masvidal, who has won three straight decisions in the UFC, the last coming against James Krause at UFC 178 in September. Masvidal (28-8) has been hovering in the top-15 of the 155-pound division since the Strikeforce merger, and has won six of seven fights overall.
A win over Henderson could solidify him as a contender in the lightweight division.
The 31-year old Henderson will be trying to snap a two-fight skid in the UFC, the first time in his career where he’s suffered back-to-back losses.
UFC Fight Night 63 will be an afternoon affair which takes place at the Patriot Center in Fairfax, Virginia. The event will be headlined by featherweight contenders Chad Mendes vs. Ricardo Lamas, and will also feature bouts between Diego Ferreira vs. Dustin Poirier (at lightweight) and Liz Carmouche vs. Lauren Murphy.