UFC 129 Preview: The Main Card

---

Lightweights
Benson Henderson vs. Mark Bocek

The Matchup: Two fast, talented lightweights collide here. Henderson, off his epic five-round loss to Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, meets Bocek, a workmanlike competitor who has slowly climbed the ranks with a string of strong performances.

Henderson is faster, a better wrestler and has at least equal conditioning to Bocek, who was a talented competitor on the submission wrestling circuit. Henderson’s standup is coming along nicely, and while he may be no K-1-level striker, he has a good sense of how to defend himself and throw appropriate strikes while closing the distance quickly.

In the transitions is where Henderson kills you. Bocek has a solid guard, but Henderson is essentially submission-proof and, at times, appears to be made of rubber.

The Pick: This is a good opportunity for Henderson to make some waves in his UFC debut, as Bocek is not going to threaten him on the feet. He will look spectacular doing so, using his speed and constant aggression to wear down Bocek and win via third-round submission.

Continue Reading » Next Fight: Vladimir Matyushenko vs. Jason Brilz