UFC 139: Youth Will Be Served in Mauricio Rua Victory Over Dan Henderson

At the age of 41, Dan Henderson is a statistical anomaly in that he is still competing at a high level in mixed martial arts. Henderson had a one-year run with Strikeforce, but he is set to make his UFC return at UFC 139 on Saturday night against Mauricio Rua.

Henderson has competed in several different divisions over the course of his career, but this particular bout will be at light heavyweight. Henderson is coming off a big victory over Fedor Emelianenko a few months ago, but it remains to be seen if he can carry his momentum over.

While Henderson hasn't shown any signs of slowing down, there will eventually come a time when he hits the wall, just as Chuck Liddell did. That time could be Saturday, as Henderson takes on the 29-year-old Rua in what is, in effect, a No. 1 contender's match.

Both Henderson and Rua have blemishes on their records, but each have scored huge wins as well. Each fighter has scored the majority of their victories by knockout as of late, but Henderson has never been knocked out, and Rua was only legitimately knocked out by Jon Jones, who may be the best pound-for-pound fighter.

With that said, something has to give when Henderson and Rua lock horns on Saturday night. Ultimately, I think Rua's age advantage will allow him to pick up the win. You could argue that Henderson actually has the advantage due to his experience, but Rua has the combination of being in his prime and having a good track record.

Henderson has had his time in UFC and mixed martial arts in general, so it's time for a younger fighter like Rua to take a big step forward. Rua has fought and defeated some of the top fighters in the sport recently, including big names like Forrest Griffin and Lyoto Machida.

Beating Henderson would be yet another feather in Rua's hat, and it could surely help propel him to new heights in UFC. Henderson won't go quietly, but Rua is a much more explosive fighter at this junction, and I believe his aggressiveness will be huge in this fight.

I don't think either man will succumb to a knockout, so this one is likely to go to the scorecards. Henderson has had success during his career in terms of decisions, but Rua will be the more impressive fighter in the eyes of the judges, and he will be awarded the win.

It most definitely won't be a walk in the park for Rua, but if he fights the way he is capable of fighting, then it would be very surprising to see him lose on Saturday.