UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Cerrone

Benson Henderson (21-4) vs. Donald Cerrone (26-6)

Donald Cerrone looks for his second victory in 15 days as he takes on Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night in Boston on Sunday.

If it seems like Cerrone was just in a match, it is because he was. “Cowboy” picked up a unanimous decision victory against Myles Jury on January 3 at UFC 182. Cerrone is the most active fighter in the sport right now, as Sunday will mark his seventh fight since Nov. 16, 2013, and he has won each of those six bouts. But none of those fights are as big as the opportunity he has in Boston that could earn him a championship opportunity. It will not be easy though, as he is going up against a fighter who has beaten him twice in his career (2009 and 2010), both in championship bouts. While the first fight went the full five rounds with significant striking nearly equal (34-28), the rematch was completely dominated by Henderson, who held a 15-1 striking advantage before winning on a first-round submission. Henderson is an extremely talented fighter who is looking to bounce back from a bad loss against Rafael dos Anjos on Aug. 23 where he was knocked out only 2:31 into the fight. The winner of Sunday's matchup will be in great position to potentially earn a title fight, and despite a fight just 15 days ago, CERRONE will finally figure out Henderson for the victory.

"Cowboy" Cerrone has 26 victories in his career, with 15 of them coming by way of submission, broken down by seven triangle chokes, five RNC and three armbars. He also has seven wins by decision and four by knockout. Because both fighters have different strengths, the very beginning of this match is extremely important. Cerrone has a big advantage when it comes to landing significant strikes (3.87 for Cerrone and 2.72 for Henderson). While he has knockouts on his resume, he is landing those strikes to wear out his opponent, and set up the opportunity for a submission victory. For the 31-year-old who fights out of Albuquerque, there really isn’t any kind of game plan in a match so soon after his previous fight. That plays to his biggest strength, just going out there and letting it fly. While both fighters weigh 155 pounds, the 6-foo-1 Cerrone has a four-inch height advantage over the 5-foot-9 Henderson.

"Smooth" Henderson enters this fight with 21 victories in his career, with 10 of his wins coming by way of decision. He also has seven wins by submission (four guillotine, three RNC), with the other four coming by way of knockout. Even with his loss last August, Henderson has still won nine of his past 11 fights. Henderson will have a big advantage when it comes to grappling with a 2.6 takedown average (1.41 for Cerrone), and he will try and use that against Cerrone. The first time these fighters collided, Henderson held an 8-1 takedown advantage. The problem with Henderson's strategy is that if he is not careful, then he can be playing right into the strength of Cerrone. In his past two losses, he has gotten careless and ended up losing very quickly, falling in a first-round submission to Anthony Pettis on Aug. 31, 2013. If the 31-year-old who fights out of Glendale, AZ is able to get off to a fast start, he will be in great shape to get the win. Cerrone will try to win this fight early, so Henderson must be able to withstand the pressure.