With Jon Jones dominating talk at the top of the UFC light heavyweight division, Saturday night’s UFC 161 card will be headlined by two men looking for a shot to move up the division ladder—Rashad Evans and Dan Henderson.
Evans already has a loss at the hands of Bones Jones, but Henderson’s shot was missed after the debacle that was the cancelled UFC 151.
Saturday night’s main event offers an opportunity for both to climb up the light heavyweight ladder, and a chance for the UFC to profit in a high-caliber event that doesn’t have the usual muster of a title fight.
UFC president Dana White is doing his best to keep the hype for the fight high:
Mere hours lie between now and the start of the latest UFC installment, so check out the sections below for a last-second preview for what should be an exciting match against potential championship fight suitors.
UFC 161 Main Event Information
What: Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
When: Saturday, June 15
Where: MTS Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Division: UFC Light Heavyweight
Full Card: Click here (via UFC.com)
Watch: Pay-Per-View, FX, Facebook
Live Stream: UFC.tv
Tale of the Tape (h/t ESPN)
| Rashad Evans | Dan Henderson | |
| 33 | Age | 42 |
| 5’11” | Height | 6’1″ |
| 206 | Weight | 204 |
| 75″ | Reach | 74″ |
| 17-3-1 | Record | 29-9 |
|
UD Loss to Antonio Nogueira (UFC 156) |
Last Fight | SD Loss to Lyoto Machida (UFC 157) |
| No. 6 | LW Contender Rank | No. 3 |
Complete Evans vs. Henderson Preview
The big right hand of Henderson is the X-factor in this fight, with Evans facing the reality of a two-fight losing streak against Jones and Little Nog. Hendo, on the other hand, is desperate to go out on top with one more shot at the title in his twilight years.
Although Henderson has one of the longest per-fight time averages in UFC history (16:10, per Sports Illustrated’s Jeff Wagenheim), three of his last four wins have been by the KO/TKO variety.
Henderson is also a two-time Olympic wrestler and will look to take this fight to the ground at times against Evans, who has very solid takedown defense and will try his best to use speed and quickness to overmatch the elder Hendo.
But as UFC Canada noted on Twitter, he can also take the fight to the ground when he needs to:
With both fighters talented and well-rounded for this bout, there’s a good chance the outcome will come down to the subtleties that cost both men in their last losses.
Henderson has a title shot on his mind, and a win over Evans just might be enough to make White seriously consider scheduling a Jones-Henderson bout in the near future. On the flip side, Evans would likely need another win—maybe two—before the marketing department decides a rematch would be in the best interest of the sport.
The decision could likely change the fortunes of both men in either direction, with the aging Henderson a candidate to retire in the near future and Evans needing a win to stave off the dreaded three-fight losing streak.
In what should live up to the hype generated, expect both of these veteran UFC names to give each other a great fight through the three rounds that the company decided upon for the main event card.
A knockout is just as likely as a decision on Saturday night, so make sure you tune in to see what the flow and the strategy for both fighters is, and which fighter will pick up the ladder-moving victory at UFC 161.
Follow Bleacher Report FC Ethan Grant (@DowntownEG) on Twitter.
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