Shogun vs Henderson at UFC 139

Shogun vs Henderson at UFC 139

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Dan Henderson and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua have verbally agreed to face off at UFC 139 on Nov. 19, MMAWeekly.com has learned.

Independent sources confirmed the fight, which will stand as Henderson’s return to the organization after defeating Russian heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko in Strikeforce.

The bout will likely be the new main event for the card that saw its prior main event between heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and no. 1 contender Junior dos Santos get moved to the main event of the Nov. 12 UFC on Fox fight card.

Henderson’s return will signal the start of his third tenure in the UFC after recently spending some time in Strikeforce, where he won the organization’s light heavyweight crown in March. At 41 years old, Henderson remains a viable competitor at both middleweight and light heavyweight, and will look to hold the same status in his return to the Las Vegas-based organization.

Rua is coming off a win over Forrest Griffin in a rematch at UFC 134, where he knocked out the TUF season 1 winner in the first round. Despite winning the light heavyweight title in May of 2010, Rua has seen mixed results during his time in the UFC with a record of 4-3. A fight with Henderson shows the road back to the title isn’t one traveled lightly, but it ensures a great match-up.