UFC on FOX 5 Henderson vs. Diaz: The Fight Card

Next Saturday, UFC on FOX 5 will take place at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington, headlined by the UFC Lightweight title bout between Ben Henderson and Nate Diaz. This will be Henderson’s second title defense, after proving himself in a double encounter with Frankie “The Answer” Edgar earlier this year.

Henderson comes to this fight with an impressive record of 17 wins and just 2 losses. “””Smooth” needed 3 fights inside the Octagon to claim his title shot, while this will be Nate Diaz‘s 17th fight in the UFC and his first title shot. Diaz has finally found his consistency at Lightweight, with victories against Takanori Gomi, Donald Cerrone, and Jim Miller.

In the co-main event of the night, Alexander Gustafsson will take on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, with sights on a shot at the UFC Light Heavyweight title. Gustafsson is currently one of the hottest prospects in the UFC, thanks to a number of convincing performances inside the cage. However, this time the young Swede faces his toughest face to date – hungry and dangerous Shogun Rua.

Also on the main card, BJ Penn returns from retirement to face Rory MacDonald. Similar to Alexander Gustafsson, MacDonald will be looking to prove himself against a legendary fighter, and get one step closer towards the biggest fights of his MMA career. BJ Penn seems in great shape and extremely motivated for this fight, promising fans a great night of MMA action. As for MacDonald, this might be the breakthrough party for Ares.

Last but definitely not the least, Mike Swick goes toe-to-toe against Matt Brown in the main card opener. While this bout might steal the prestigious Fight of the Night bonus, there’s plenty to fight for. Swick and Brown have resurrected their fighting careers with impressive performances, and will be looking to deliver more of the same to make a statement. Both fighters share 24 career finishes, most of them via KO/TKO.

Many fans consider UFC on FOX 5 as the best fight card this year, especially after so many high-profile bouts were cancelled due to injuries and failed drug tests. However, it’s important to note that we still have two TUF events in December, and the long-anticipated UFC 155 event on the New Years Eve. One way or another, expect fireworks!

Full Card via MMAWeekly.com:

Main Card (on Fox):
–Benson Henderson (17-2) vs. Nate Diaz (16-7)
-Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (21-6) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (14-1)
-Rory MacDonald (13-1; ) vs. BJ Penn (16-8-2)
-Mike Swick (15-4) vs. Matt Brown (15-11)

Preliminary Card (on FX):
-Yves Edwards (41-18-1) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8)
-Raphael Assuncao (18-4) vs. Mike Easton (13-1)
-Ramsey Nijem (6-2) vs. Joe Proctor (8-1)
-Daron Cruikshank (11-2) vs. Henry Martinez (9-2)
-Dennis Siver (20-8) vs. Nam Phan (18-10)

Preliminary Card (on Facebook):
-Scott Jorgensen (13-6) vs. John Albert (7-3)
-Tim Means (18-3-1) vs. Abel Trujillo (9-4)