For the first time since mid-2012, Benson Henderson will attempt to defend his UFC lightweight title on pay-per-view.
Henderson is expected to meet freshly minted No. 1 contender T.J. Grant in the main event of UFC 164, according to a report made by MMAFighting.com’s Ariel Helwani on Tuesday’s edition of UFC Tonight.
UFC 164 takes place August 31, 2013 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Also fighting on the card are heavyweights Frank Mir vs. Josh Barnett, along with featherweights Chad Mendes vs. Clay Guida and Erik Koch vs. Dustin Poirier.
Henderson (19-2), currently tied with B.J. Penn for the most consecutive defenses (3) of the lightweight title in UFC history, looks to establish his own mark when he takes on Grant. The 29-year-old was recently awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and is undefeated in seven UFC appearances.
Henderson first captured the belt by overwhelming Frankie Edgar at UFC 144, then defeated Edgar once again, albeit by a much narrower margin, six months later. He went on to trounce Nate Diaz at UFC on FOX 5, before edging longtime Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez in another polarizing split decision.
Grant (21-5), meanwhile, quietly pieced together four straight victories at lightweight following a mixed run at welterweight. That streak catapulted the 29-year-old Nova Scotia native into a surprise No. 1 contender fight against Gray Maynard, which Grant won with a resounding two-minute knockout.