Daniel Cormier vs. Dan Henderson official for UFC 173
With a single punch, Dan Henderson has written himself back into the UFC light-heavyweight title contender story.
Henderson, who knocked out Mauricio "Shogun" Rua last month to snap a career-worst three-fight losing streak, is now officially set to fight undefeated top-five fighter Daniel Cormier. After several stops and starts, the matchup is now officially set for UFC 173, UFC president Dana White said on a Wednesday afternoon episode of ESPN Sportscenter.
Just last week, White said the pairing, which had been rumored for weeks for either UFC 173 or UFC 175, was still not signed, although he didn't say what was holding it up. Apparently, whatever issue that remained outstanding has since been resolved.
It was in 2011 when Henderson seemed to clinch a shot at the title, but an injury knocked him out of the bout and when he returned, he struggled to win until turning around a two-round deficit against Rua with a perfectly timed uppercut. With a win over Cormier, the 43-year-old Henderson (30-11) would have a chance to jump right back into the title hunt.
The No. 5 ranked Cormier (14-0) just recently made his divisional debut, knocking out Patrick Cummins at UFC 170 last February.
UFC 173 takes place on May 24 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
