UFC on Fox 14: Dan Henderson vs. Gegard Mousasi Head-to-Toe Breakdown

This Saturday at UFC on Fox 14, two of the best middleweights in the world will step into the cage with former Pride champion Dan Henderson facing off against former Strikeforce champion Gegard Mousasi.

Mousasi has gone just 1-2 in his return to middleweight. His win over Mark Munoz was sandwiched by a loss to Lyoto Machida and a loss to Ronaldo Souza.

Henderson has been even less fortunate as of late, going just 1-4 in his last five. Henderson has dropped decisions to Machida and Rashad Evans, was knocked out by Vitor Belfort and was submitted by Daniel Cormier. His only win in that time was a TKO over Mauricio Rua.

It's going to be a close fight between these two as they look to get back on the winning track. Let's see who has the edge in this head-to-toe breakdown. 

Striking

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This is a tough one to call.

Henderson isn't just a striker, but he has come to rely largely on that as of late. He doesn't throw a lot of punches and doesn't wear you down with combos.

He looks for an overhand right to drop you.

Mousasi is more of a combination striker. He'll throw a lot of jabs and feints, looking to set you up. He has earned more than half of his wins by (T)KO, but he hasn't shown that same finishing ability in the UFC yet.

Their chins will also be a factor. Henderson was famously known for his jaw, but Belfort viciously knocked him out a little more than a year ago. His chin has seemed OK since, but you never know when it might finally go. Meanwhile, Mousasi has never been knocked out in 42 professional MMA fights.

Edge: Mousasi 

Grappling

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This is another close one to call.

Mousasi has shown some serious grappling prowess in his time in the Octagon, notably when he put on a clinic against Mark Munoz. He is a black belt in judo who has submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts before.

Henderson is a former Olympic wrestler. He went to two different Olympic Games, placing 10th in 1992 and 12th in 1996. Henderson generally prefers to strike, but he has shown outstanding grappling when he needs it.

If push comes to shove, expect Henderson to stuff takedowns and secure his own if he chooses.

Edge: Henderson 

Submissions

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Henderson has been fighting since 1997. Through 42 professional bouts, he has won only two by submission, and one was from strikes.

In addition to that, he has lost by submission four times. Once was to Anderson Silva, two were against Minotauro Nogueira and the most recent one came in Henderson's fight against Daniel Cormier back in May.

Mousasi has also had 42 fights. He has won 12 with submissions, with one due to punches. His last submission came in his win over Mark Munoz in May, but he lost by submission in his next fight against Ronaldo Souza.

That was only his third loss by submission, with the other two coming in 2005 and 2006.

Edge: Mousasi 

Intangibles

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Gegard Mousasi

The big thing for Mousasi in this fight will be staying focused.

The 29-year-old has had a wildly impressive performance following each of his losses. He will need to keep his head on straight and stay focused to pull that off on Saturday.

He also needs to be sure he can push the pace, as cardio could be huge for Henderson.

Dan Henderson

This is Henderson's return to the middleweight division. He last fought at middleweight in 2010 when he lost to Jake Shields with the Strikeforce title on the line. His cardio and his weight cut will be huge factors.

If he isn't able to keep up with Mousasi for 15 minutes, his opponent will pick him apart. If he has a good weight cut and his cardio is up to par, he should be able to defend and outstrike Mousasi until he sees an opening for his H-Bomb. 

Prediction

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Gegard Mousasi should be able to win this fight. He is younger, faster and probably hungrier. He'll beat Henderson up on the feet and then score a takedown and work from there.

However, Henderson could easily win this fight. If he shows up in great shape, with good cardio after an easy weight cut, there's no reason he can't win.

Unfortunately, at 44 years old and cutting more weight than he has in the past five years, there is reason to be hesitant about Henderson's chances.

Prediction: Gegard Mousasi def. Dan Henderson by unanimous decision.