UFC 144 Edgar vs. Henderson: 8 Reasons to Be Excited for UFC's Return to Japan

The UFC makes it long-anticipated return to the land of the rising sun on Feb. 26 for UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson.

The event headlined by the lightweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson will be the first time that the promotion has appeared in Japan since December 2000 when it held UFC 29: Defense of the Belts in Tokyo.

Though this event will not include some of the historical Japanese fan favorites who are on the UFC, like Wanderlei Silva and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, there are still plenty of reasons to be excited for this huge event. Here are eight of those reasons.

1. Japanese Culture of MMA

Mixed martial arts is a relatively young sport, but it is still one with a tremendous history.

Though the UFC itself has created much of that history in the United States, overseas it has been the country of Japan through promotions like Pride, K-1, Pancrase and others that really made MMA into a worldwide phenomenon.

The UFC has only ever held four total events in the country, with UFC 144 marking the first time in more than 11 years the promotion has appeared there. But for those who love their Japanese MMA history, they couldn’t have picked a better venue than the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

This venue, known for hosting some of the biggest fights in MMA history, has been dubbed the “Mecca of MMA” and the fans will give these athletes the respect they deserve (and oftentimes don’t get in America) when they step inside the building.

2. Anthony Pettis vs. Joe Lauzon

Anthony “Showtime” Pettis will test his skills against one of the hottest fighters in the sport when he steps into the cage against Joe Lauzon.

This potentially breathtaking fight between two of the most exciting fighters in all of the UFC is being predicted as the "Fight of the Night" by many fans and experts who realize these guys throw down every time they step into the cage.

Pettis’ striking versus Lauzon’s jiu-jitsu could make for some amazing moments.

Don’t blink.

3. Japanese Fighters Return Home

One thing that UFC Japan has is a plethora of home-grown Japanese talent ready to put on an entertaining show for the fans around the world.

The UFC only had a handful of Japanese-born fighters on its roster prior to this event, but for at least one night, seven of the scheduled 12 fights on the card will include at least one fighter from the host country. Not only that, but current UFC stars Yoshihiro Akiyama, Hatsu Hioki, Yushin Okami, Takanori Gomi and “Kid” Yamamoto will all be making their (in some cases) long-awaited returns to the country.

For Okami, it will be his first fight in the country in more than five years.

Let’s just hope that none of them use “I’m Coming Home” by Diddy as their entrance music. Talk about a song that’s been overplayed.

4. Mark Hunt, Rampage Jackson’s Returns to Japan

While this event is missing some of the names that helped make Pride popular in beginning of this century, two of the biggest names in the history of Japanese MMA, Mark Hunt and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, will both be competing on the main card.

For Hunt, back-to-back wins over Chris Tuchscherer and Ben Rothwell have earned him his biggest UFC fight yet against Cheick Kongo. The K-1 legend might be the most popular fighter with a .500 record in the history of the sport, and despite being past his physical prime he is still capable of putting on some amazing performances.

Jackson, on the other hand, is still chomping at the bit for another title shot. While he was crushed in his most recent fight against Jon Jones at UFC 135, Jackson saw an opportunity to fight on the Japan card against Ryan Bader and simply couldn’t turn it down.

“The one thing I love about the Japanese fans, why I love them the most, is they don’t care if you win or lose as long as you have samurai spirit and have a good fight,” Jackson told CNN GO. “That’s why Japanese fans are my favorite, and American fans are jealous when I say that.”

5. Hatsu Hioki’s 'Eliminator' Fight

One of the more interesting "unofficial" storylines for UFC 144 might be the outcome of the featherweight bout between Bart Palaszewski and Japanese star Hatsu Hioki.

Hioki, who has just one loss by split decision since 2007, has been dominating most fights for the better part of the past half-decade. With victories over the likes of Marlon Sandro, Takeshi Inoue and Ronnie Mann in recent years, the UFC saw a potential star for its company when it signed the former Sengoku featherweight champion to a contract in 2011.

Though Hioki’s UFC debut didn’t go quite as smoothly as he would have hoped, he did walk out with a win over the very respectable George Roop, and given the relatively thin roster of 145-pounders in the UFC, this victory at UFC 144 against Palaszewski could be the one that earns him a title shot against Jose Aldo sometime in 2012.

It’s amazing to think a fight with such important title implications isn’t even on the main card, but that should just go to show how stacked this card really is.

6. Can Cheick Kongo Become a Contender?

With an ever-improving wrestling game, the power to toss around just about anyone in the cage and striking skills that allow him to go toe-to-toe with the best of the best, it’s surprising to think Cheick Kongo has never really been considered a top heavyweight in the UFC.

Sure, he has wins over the likes of Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, Pat Barry and Matt Mitrione—he was also the first one to really test Cain Velasquez in the UFC—but Kongo has never really taken the next step to being a consistent top fighter in the UFC.

Certainly a win over the 37-year-old Mark Hunt isn’t going to make Kongo a title contender anytime soon, but a victory would mean the French kickboxing specialist hasn’t lost a bout since 2009.

A loss to Hunt, as surprising as that would be to most, would pretty much assure that Kongo will never be a championship contender in the UFC, so perhaps he is not so much fighting for a win as he is not to lose.

7. Frankie Edgar vs. Benson Henderson

Can you say “Fight of the Year” candidate?

Arguably the top two lightweights in the world will square off in a five-round title fight to determine just who is the best of the best in the UFC today at 155 pounds as Frankie Edgar defends his championship against Benson Henderson.

After avenging a prior loss to Gray Maynard in October at UFC 136, Edgar now sets his sights on becoming the first long-reigning champion in the history of the UFC lightweight division.

He’ll have a tough task against Benson Henderson, though, who has not lost since coming to the UFC, defeating three very tough, top-level opponents in Mark Bocek, Jim Miller and Clay Guida along the way.

The pace these two set should be amazing to watch and each man is capable of finishing at any point in the fight. That’s what makes this potential 25-minute fight even more intriguing and well worth the price of the pay-per-view on its own.

8. It’s the UFC!

Some events might include larger stars, more extravagant pomp and circumstance and even more entertaining bouts than one another, the plain truth is that the UFC always delivers.

Not only that, but UFC 144 is poised to combine all three of the factors above into a real candidate for “Event of the Year.”

If you were disappointed in the results of the Carlos Condit vs. Nick Diaz fight, don’t let that turn you away from UFC 144. Those two are very different fighters than the ones we will see in Japan. Frankie Edgar, Benson Henderson, Rampage Jackson, Jake Shields, Anthony Pettis, Joe Lauzon, Mark Hunt, Cheick Kongo...the list really does go on and on.

What more could a fan want?

If you want to get your money’s worth, buy this event. Don’t twiddle your thumbs. Do it. You’ll thank me later.

For more MMA news, fighter interviews and opinions, follow Nick Caron: @NicholasCaron