Dan Henderson-Lyoto Machida confirmed for UFC 157 but won’t be headliner

Though the duo had already been linked to a future match-up, it looks like UFC light heavyweights Dan Henderson and Lyoto Machida will indeed meet in February for a shot at top contendership. However, the scrap won’t take place over Super Bowl Weekend as was rumored.

According to multiple reports, Henderson and Machida will mix it up on February 23 in Anaheim, California as part of the lineup for UFC 157. Interestingly enough, as high a profile bout as the match-up is it also won’t be the evening’s main event.

TATAME was first to report the rumble’s attachment to the card, while MMAFighting confirmed the clash with UFC President Dana White who also explained he was still working on putting together a headlining fight for the show.

Henderson hasn’t seen action in more than a year, voluntarily sitting out for a crack at champion Jon Jones before suffering a knee injury that prevented him from participating in the pairing. The 29-8 legend is currently on a four-fight run including success against Fedor Emelianenko and Mauricio Rua.

Comparably, Machida is 18-3 in his career and was last seen knocking Ryan Bader out in August at UFC on FOX 4. He also holds past victories over the likes of Thiago Silva, Randy Couture, Rich Franklin, and Rashad Evans.

PHOTO CREDIT – STRIKEFORCE