UFC 139 Predictions: How Dan Henderson Will Beat Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

It was over 14 years ago when Dan Henderson entered the sport of mixed martial arts for the very first time.

And it didn't take long for the dangerous striker to establish himself as a legitimate force, as he would be declared victorious in the first eight fights of his career before signing with the organization of Pride.

Henderson would win 13 of his 18 fights with the organization, as he would leave to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship in September of 2007.

In his first two fights inside the Octagon, "Hendo" would be defeated by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Anderson Silva.

However, Henderson would recover as he went on to win his next three bouts, including one of the most spectacular knockouts of all time over Michael Bisping at UFC 100.

Henderson would leave for a short while to fight in Strikeforce but has now returned to the highest stage of mixed martial arts.

One of the UFC's most dangerous strikers will now take on Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 139 in San Jose, California in just a few short hours.

And while Henderson may be considered the favorite by many in the main event showdown, there are some things he'll need to accomplish in order for that to happen.

First, Henderson has proven to be the more conditioned fighter, as he's gone to the judge's scorecards on 18 different occasions throughout his mixed martial arts career.

Rua, on the other hand, hasn't spent much time in the later rounds of action, as the majority of his fights are finished before the second round even begins.

Henderson will need to be cautious early, as "Shogun" will be looking for the knockout blow as soon as action begins.

Another strength of Henderson's is his exceptional wrestling game, as he is a former Olympic wrestler.

Henderson must establish a strong attack consisting of takedowns and vicious ground-and-pound strikes.

If Henderson can stick to his game plan, he should have no problem winning his fourth consecutive fight and move closer towards a light heavyweight title fight in the near future.