Benson Henderson vs. Brandon Thatch: Full Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Less than one month after a controversial decision loss to Donald Cerrone, Benson Henderson will take a page out of his most recent opponent's book and return to the Octagon in short order.

It was reported by Ariel Helwani during the UFC 183 weigh-ins on Fox Sports 1 (h/t MMAFighting.com) that Stephen Thompson had been removed from his February 14 main event bout with Brandon Thatch due to a rib injury. With short time to find a replacement opponent for Thatch, a welterweight up-and-comer, UFC matchmakers turned to Henderson.

Always considered one of the larger fighters in the lightweight division, Henderson had been considering a move to 170 pounds for some time before this, and a change in scenery was needed after suffering back-to-back losses. So, Henderson will now test the welterweight waters against a scary striker in Thatch, while simultaneously serving as a veteran test for the rising prospect.

With this unexpected UFC Fight Night 60 main event approaching, here is a look at how Henderson and Thatch match up in all areas.

Striking

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With opening-round knockout wins in his first two trips to the Octagon, Thatch has the potential to be one of the best strikers in the welterweight division, which is why a matchup between him and Thompson was so intriguing to begin with.

Although Henderson has excellent leg kicks and closes distance well, it's not likely he'll be planning to stand in this matchup. Thatch is five inches taller than the former lightweight champion and will own a reach advantage almost as significant.

It's one thing for Henderson to close distance well against lightweights who don't have a reach advantage, but he'll likely have a much tougher time doing so against Thatch on Saturday. Even if Henderson does work inside, he won't be safe in that spot against Thatch.

Henderson is usually able to muscle lightweights around in the clinch, but that's not going to happen this weekend. In fact, Henderson might even be in more danger when clinched than when fighting from distance due to his opponent's deadly knees, which were on full display in Thatch's UFC debut against Justin Edwards.

Anytime both men are standing, Thatch will be the one more capable of ending this contest. If he does score a standing knockout against Henderson, it might be time to start considering Thatch a contender in the 170-pound class.

Advantage: Thatch

Wrestling

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While Thatch has done well at keeping bouts standing early in his UFC career, he hasn't met a wrestler like Henderson in his first two Octagon appearances.

Henderson had a rough time getting his wrestling going against Rafael dos Anjos and Cerrone, but the former 155-pound champion scored five takedowns over his two prior bouts with Josh Thomson and Rustam Khabilov. Neither of those men have the size that Thatch does, but they are at least equally skilled in the wrestling department.

Although Thatch's knees in the clinch can end bouts in a hurry, they also give opponents a chance to take him to the ground. It didn't lead to much, but Paulo Thiago was able to accomplish that by countering a Thatch knee with a takedown.

It will be difficult for Henderson to deal with Thatch's size in close quarters, but he can score takedowns if he comes in looking to catch Thatch's knees and kicks. Getting Thatch to the ground early by countering a knee could help Henderson later on, as it might cause his opponent to be more cautious. 

Advantage: Henderson

Grappling

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Despite the submission loss to Anthony Pettis that lost him his lightweight belt, Henderson is one of the best grapplers in the lightweight division.

That loss to Pettis marked Henderson's first submission loss since March 2007, which predated his WEC career. It was a small mistake that Pettis capitalized on within a split-second window to secure the armbar at UFC 164. It would be shocking to see Thatch catch Henderson in anything on the ground.

Getting Thatch to the canvas will be a huge hurdle, but Henderson will be in very good shape if he can do so. With submission wins over Cerrone, Khabilov and others, Henderson has much better finishing ability on the ground than when standing up, and Thatch still hasn't rolled with a high-level grappler for an extended period.

Certainly, being the larger man, Thatch will be tough to hold down. However, Henderson's best and possibly only route to victory in this matchup will be on the ground. 

Advantage: Henderson

Intangibles

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Seeing as he's only had two UFC bouts and hasn't seen a second round in his past 10 outings, there are some questions about Thatch's experience and conditioning.

That said, Henderson's move up in weight is the elephant in the room heading into UFC Fight Night 60. 

Henderson will bring speed and potentially unmatched conditioning to the welterweight class, but he'll be noticeably smaller than the combatant standing across the Octagon from him this weekend. In a matchup where wrestling will be a key component to his victory, that could be a big problem.

With several months to prepare, I have little doubt Henderson could put on some size and be able to toss average-sized welterweights around. However, competing against a large welterweight less than one month after weighing in at 156 pounds, Henderson has not optimized his body to compete against Thatch. 

Advantage: Thatch

Prediction

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While he's not being matched up against a ranked opponent right away, Henderson is still rushing into this whole welterweight thing.

Thatch is a large 170-pounder and not one a former lightweight should want to test the welterweight waters against. Rukus has the size to prevent some Henderson takedowns and the striking to end this one in a hurry should he be able to keep it standing.

A Henderson takedown could change things in a hurry, but bouts start out standing. Given Thatch's size and threat to finish from the clinch, I think he'll be able to hurt Henderson before the former lightweight champion is able to get this contest to the canvas.

It's a shame, because Henderson could be a solid welterweight with preparation, but this is the wrong matchup at the wrong time for him. In the end, I believe it will also ultimately lead to a loss that will dissuade him from ever competing at 170 pounds ever again.

Prediction

Thatch defeats Henderson via (T)KO in the first round.