The UFC will make its first trip to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on Saturday, June 15. Headlining the event, UFC 161, will be a light heavyweight bout between former UFC champion Rashad Evans and former PRIDE and Strikeforce champion Dan Henderson. The co-main event will see heavyweight competitors Roy Nelson and Stipe Miocic squaring off inside the Octagon.
Evans (17-3-1) will come to the cage with two losses in his last two outings, while Henderson (29-9) had a four-fight winning streak come to an end in his last bout.
Despite the recent losses, both fighters remain entrenched in the top ten of the light heavyweight division. The latest rankings have Henderson at No. 3 and Evans at No. 6. Barring a crazy outcome, don’t expect either fighter to move any higher than third in the division, but a loss could very well see the vanquished taking a tumble down the rankings. For that reason, this is a very important fight for these two veteran competitors.
In the co-main event, Roy Nelson (19-7) will meet Stipe Miocic (9-1). Miocic was originally booked to face Soa Palelei, but when the original main event between interim UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao and Eddie Wineland was scrapped following a Barao injury, the UFC reached out to Nelson, who stepped up on short notice. Once Nelson signed on, the contest moved to co-main event status after Evans vs. Henderson was elevated to the main event.
Full UFC 161 fight card:
Rashad Evans vs. Dan Henderson
Stipe Miocic vs. Roy Nelson
Alexis Davis vs. Rosi Sexton
Pat Barry vs. Shawn Jordan
Ryan Jimmo vs. Igor Pokrajac
Jake Shields vs. Tyron Woodley
James Krause vs. Sam Stout
Sean Pierson vs. Kenny Robertson
Roland Delorme vs. Edwin Figueroa
Mitch Clarke vs. John Maguire
Yves Jabouin vs. Dustin Pague
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