Mirsad Bektic has endured a whirlwind week already – and it had nothing to do with his travel to the United Kingdom.

The Bosnian-born Bektic has had three different opponents for this weekend’s UFC 204. Originally, the American Top Team talent was scheduled to face Arnold Allen, but an injury forced him out and Jeremy Kennedy replaced him on the card earlier in the week. Unfortunately, Kennedy also got injured, and now Russell Doane has stepped up.

Not the ideal build-up for Bektic, for sure, but he’s not bothered.

“I don’t worry about it, I just focus on myself and I’m confident about my preparation and my team,” Bektic said. “We train for every style – left handed guy, right handed guy – it’s perfect, it’s going to bring out the best in me. I look forward to it.”

Regardless of the opponent, many eyes will be on Bektic as he returns to the Octagon for the first time since May 2015. The 25-year-old featherweight is undefeated in 10 fights as a professional, including a 3-0 mark in the UFC. His bout against Doane opens up the Pay-Per-View portion of UFC 204, his most high-profile position yet on a UFC fight card.

“This is how I roll. I believe I am the best in all aspects of martial arts and I believe this is how you show it – you go through different things like this, different opponent changes, and you just show what’s up,” Bektic said. “Yeah, Russell Doane, he’s a tough kid. Very tough guy. Great at what he does but it’s me … I feel phenomenal, I feel like a champ.”

10
Current ranking of Michael Bisping on the UFC pound-for-pound list

199
UFC event where Michael Bisping scored a first round knockout of Luke Rockhold to become the UFC middleweight champion

17
Days notice “The Count” took the bout with then champion Rockhold as former champ Chris Weidman had to withdraw due to injury

2520
Days between Bisping’s upcoming bout against Dan Henderson at UFC 204 in Manchester, England and The Count’s previous bout in Manchester against Denis Kang at UFC 105<br />
19
Wins by Bisping inside the Octagon, tied with Georges St-Pierre for most in UFC history

5:23:40
Total Octagon time by Bisping, 3rd most in UFC history behind Georges St-Pierre’s 5:28:12 and Frankie Edgar’s 6:02:49

8
Knockdowns landed by The Count in the UFC including two against Rockhold and one against former champ Anderson Silva in January

1,414
Significant strikes landed by Bisping, most in UFC history

100+
Significant strikes landed by Bisping against four separate opponents – Yoshihiro Akiyama, Thales Leites, Jason Miller and Anderson Silva, only UFC middleweight to land 100+ sig. strikes in two or more bouts

67
Significant striking defense percentage by Bisping, 3rd best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights and 350 opp. att.)

1.77
Significant strike differential rate per minute in favor of Bisping, 6th best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights)

3
The Ultimate Fighter season Bisping won as a light heavyweight

13
Current ranking of Dan Henderson as UFC middleweight

12
Number of current or former UFC champions that Henderson has fought across his pro career – Bisping, Vitor Belfort,Murilo Bustamante, Daniel Cormier, Rashad Evans, Rich Franklin, Quinton Jackson, Lyoto Machida, Carlos Newton, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Mauricio Rua and Anderson Silva

199
UFC event where Henderson scored a second round knockout of Hector Lombard with a standing back-elbow

100
UFC event where Henderson scored one of the most famous knockouts in UFC history against Bisping in the second round of their The Ultimate Fighter 9 rival coaches’ bout

25
Wins by Henderson in UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce/WEC competition, 2nd most wins in combined history behind Wanderlei Silva’s 27

15
KO/TKOs by Henderson in UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce/WEC competition, tied with Mauricio Rua for 3rd most by any fighter in combined history behind Mirko Cro Cop’s 18 and Wanderlei Silva’s 19

20
Knockdowns by Henderson in UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce/WEC, 2nd most in combined history behind Wanderlei Silva’s 27

48
Takedowns by Henderson in UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce, 4th most in combined history at 183 pounds or heavier

87.5
Percentage of those takedowns by Henderson started in the clinch

1992, 1996
Years that Henderson competed as a member of the United States’ Greco-Roman wrestling team

5
Current ranking of Vitor Belfort as a UFC middleweight

14
Finishes by “The Phenom” inside the Octagon, tied with Anderson Silva for most in UFC history

12
KO/TKOs by Belfort, most knockouts in UFC history

4
Knockouts by The Phenom stem from kicks, tied for 2nd most in UFC history behind Donald Cerrone’s 5

3
Consecutive knockouts by Belfort stem from kicks – Bisping, Rockhold and Henderson, only UFC fighter to do so

13
First round finishes by Belfort inside the Octagon, most in UFC history

3:35
Average fight time by Belfort as a UFC middleweight, 2nd best in UFC middleweight history behind Drew McFedries’ 2:07 (min. 5 fights)

9
Current ranking of Gegard Mousasi as a UFC middleweight

20
Career KO/TKOs by Mousasi including his most recent first round knockout of Thiago Santos at UFC 200, which earned a Performance of the Night bonus

12
Career submissions by Mousasi including his rear naked choke of Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night: Munoz vs. Mousasi, which earned a Performance of the Night bonus

82.1
Career finishing rate percentage by Mousasi across his 39 pro wins

1.37
Significant strikes absorbed per minute rate by Mousasi, best among active UFC middleweights (min. 5 fights)

+1.69
Significant strike differential per minute rate by Mousasi, 3rd best among active UFC middleweights (min. 5 fights)

82.8
Takedown defense percentage by Mousasi, 2nd best among active UFC middleweights and 4th best in UFC middleweight history (min. 5 fights and 20 opp. att.)

This week, in the seventh opening round matchup, No. 6 seed Matt Schnell from Team Cejudo takes on No. 11 seed Matt Rizzo from Team Benavidez.

Schnell is actually the Legacy Fighting Championships interim flyweight champion, a title he won after he was originally supposed to fight Damacio Page for the title until an injury knocked him out of their scheduled bout. Obviously, both Page and Schnell ended up representing Legacy FC in the tournament this season, with one as champion and the other as interim champion. Unfortunately for Page, he’s already been eliminated and he’s currently nursing a broken hand, so Schnell will look to trump him as he attempts to move into the next round of the tournament.

If Schnell’s name sounds familiar outside of his appearance on The Ultimate Fighter, it’s probably because he also appeared on a reality show called “Caged” that aired on MTV back in 2012. The show focused on four up and coming mixed martial arts hopefuls, with Schnell among the cast that made it on to the 10-episode series. Following the show, Schnell had aspirations to make his way to the UFC, but things didn’t turn out the way he had planned.

While the reality show gave him some notoriety and fame early in his fight career, Schnell also experienced the flipside of that equation – it meant anyone he faced during the early part of his professional career was going to know exactly who he was and they were going to try to expose the reality show contestant inside the cage. So instead of just making his way up the ranks as a young fighter, Schnell grew up with no element of surprise as he stepped into the cage with all his early opponents.

Still, Schnell put together a respectable record, with a 3-2 mark before he buckled down and started to really make a push in his career. Schnell eventually won his next six fights, including his victory to earn him the Legacy FC interim flyweight title, which in turn got him on the show. Add to that, Schnell grew up in Louisiana, and around the time that he was filming „Caged,“ he also became friends with future UFC lightweight star Dustin Poirier. The two fighters started to train together, but when Poirier moved to Florida to shift his camp to American Top Team, it left Schnell without a home. So a couple years ago, Schnell decided to join Poirier at American Top Team and that’s where he’s been ever since. Now Schnell is not only training with Poirier, but he also works with fellow castmate Jaime Alvarez as well as top 10-ranked UFC flyweight Kyoji Horiguchi and several other notable stars.

On the other side of the Octagon stands Matt Rizzo, a 30-year old fighter with a 9-2 record who competes in the Ring of Combat promotion in New Jersey. Rizzo is one of the older fighters in the competition, but he knows that this is his best chance to not only get into the UFC but to also potentially challenge for the flyweight title on his first day in the promotion.

Rizzo lives and trains out of a small gym in Pennsylvania called Revolution MMA. Before he found MMA, Rizzo grew up as a wrestler after following in his older brother’s footsteps on to the mat. Rizzo first picked up a pair of wrestling shoes when he was four years old, he continued with the sport all the way through college, and that’s when he discovered another form of grappling that he soon fell in love with as well – Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

Once Rizzo got hooked on jiu-jitsu, it wasn’t long before he was looking at fighting as a possible career. Rizzo ended up turning pro back in 2012 and since that time he’s stayed pretty busy with 11 fights over the past four years before getting the call to compete on TUF. His championship comes from Ring of Combat – one of the most well respected and longest running regional promotions in the United States. Fighters like Chris Weidman and Uriah Hall cut their teeth in Ring of Combat, so Rizzo comes from a good promotional lineage before he got the call to join the UFC as part of the new season of the show.

As far as the matchup goes this week, Schnell is probably the more well rounded fighter, but Rizzo potentially has the best overall weapon. Rizzo is a master grappler with a lifetime of wrestling in his back pocket, not to mention a wealth of Brazilian jiu-jitsu knowledge at his disposal as well. Of course, Rizzo is no slouch on the feet, but he has to know that’s exactly where Schnell wants to keep this fight. Rizzo has the kind of wrestling that could put Schnell on the mat, looking up at the lights and breathing for air for 10 straight minutes until the fight is over. Of course, Schnell has very fast hands, quick feet and a devastating striking style that could negate Rizzo’s grappling. Schnell is also very well versed in submission grappling, so even if Rizzo takes him to the mat, it’s not easy sailing for the Pennsylvania native.

As we approach the final two fights of the opening round, can Schnell get the win and put Team Cejudo back in control, or will Rizzo pull off another upset and keep the momentum going from Team Benavidez?

Tune into the latest episode of The Ultimate Fighter at 10pm ET on FS1 to find out.

Dan Henderson already had one heck of a farewell from the UFC. The question is, can he do it all over again?

Back at UFC 199 in June, Hendo, 46, talked openly in the buildup about stepping away from MMA no matter the outcome against Hector Lombard. Then, as if following a movie script, Henderson got a KO win in front of his home crowd in Southern California – including well over 50 of his friends and family in attendance that night at The Forum in Los Angeles.

A fitting farewell for one of the most prolific fighters in combat sports.

Then a funny thing happened. Just a few minutes after Henderson’s win in that very arena, Michael Bisping shocked the world when he defeated Luke Rockhold for the middleweight championship on short notice in the main event.

Forget the retirement script Henderson just created: It was time for a rewrite. Bisping vs Henderson 2 at UFC 204 this Saturday night in Manchester, England beckoned.

“The last fight, I had in my mind that it could be my last fight,” Henderson said. “But given the opportunity at a title I had to say yes. I’m looking forward to the opportunity.”

That’s exactly what happened. Almost immediately after Bisping’s win, a rumbling began among fans who wanted to see a rematch of the UFC 100 classic between the two titans of the sport, one which Henderson won in dramatic fashion in the second round with a flying elbow that continues to be a staple of KO reels.

“(The Bisping fight at UFC 100) that’s been the one that fans want to talk to the most about. They thank me for that,” Henderson said. “It’s kind of fun for me, but it’s one of those things that’s just is what it is. I did a good job that night and people like to see him lose. It probably helps that he ran his mouth so much that people wanted to see that happen.

“I didn’t have to think (twice) about (taking the rematch). Obviously if they are going to give me a title shot, something I thought I was a little further away from than that, but I think just because the fans were asking for this fight and Bisping was asking for it also that made it happened. I didn’t expect it, I didn’t ask for it – and I didn’t hesitate either to say yes.”

But this is far from just a crappy Hollywood sequel or about a final payday. Henderson has said he plans on walking away from the sport, win or lose, after Saturday night’s headlining bout from Manchester Arena. And for all that Henderson has accomplished in his career — two-time Olympian, former PRIDE champion, the second-most winningest fighter in major MMA history (UFC/PRIDE/Strikeforce/WEC combined) with 25 career victories – one thing is missing: a UFC championship belt.

“To have an opportunity at a title in my last fight would definitely be the crowning moment of my career, which would be nice,” Henderson said. “It’s all about the UFC belt at this point. I could care less who it’s against. It’s a title fight and it doesn’t matter if I beat him before or lost to him before. What matters is what happens on Oct. 8. I’m going to make sure I take full advantage of the opportunity to get a belt.

“I’ll still be doing my best to put my fist through his face.”

UFC Middleweight champion Michael Bisping calls in to talk about his first title defense at UFC 204 against Dan Henderson, adjusting to the early morning fight time, what’s truly at stake for this fight, the state of the Middleweight division, and more. Also, radio presenter Christian O’Connell joins the show to discuss the parallels between comedy and fighting, Bisping/Henderson, and the signs of an advanced democracy. Plus, Matt Serra calls Jim and guest co-host Luis J. Gomez from his family vacation to Disney World.

Some of the highlights from Episode 31 of UFC Unfiltered include:

Christian picks Bisping over Hendo

Christian talks about the UFC thriving in a bubble wrapped world

Bisping on learning from the famous UFC 100 knockout

Bisping’s not retiring, he’s making too much money

Bisping says to bet the house he’ll win at UFC 204

“I know her, I like her and I respect her very much,” Kowalkiewicz said. “She’s a great fighter, and we are both from Poland.”

“We are both Polish, we’re fighting on probably the biggest UFC show in 2016, so we are friends,” Jedrzejczyk added. “When I step into the Octagon, I’m not going to be friendly anymore, but now, why not? This sport is beautiful, we’ve contacted each other and we can have fun with our opponents, but when it’s time to fight, we fight. But I’m happy that two Polish girls will fight in Madison Square Garden in the first show in New York (City). I’m happy for both of us and for the Polish community, which is very big in New York.”

As important as this fight is for the MMA world at large, it’s even more so in Poland, where Olsztyn’s Jedrzejczyk and Lodz’ Kowalkiewicz were born, raised and trained in the sport of mixed martial arts. They even fought once as amateurs, with Jedrzejczyk submitting Kowalkiewicz in March of 2012. But that was more than four years ago.

“I am a different fighter, so it means nothing,” Kowalkiewicz said.

Since that first meeting, the two have combined for 22 pro MMA wins, Kowalkiewicz earning three Octagon victories over Randa Markos, Heather Jo Clark and Rose Namajunas, while Jedrzejczyk has become a legit superstar in the UFC thanks to six victories that includes a title-winning effort over Carla Esparza and successful title defenses against Jessica Penne, Valerie Letourneau and Claudia Gadelha.

All this success has led to speculation about how a fight between the two in 2016 would look, and now it’s going to happen, much to the delight of Polish fans.

“In Poland this is something big, really big,” Kowalkiewicz said. “Everybody is talking about this.”

As a result, both fighters will likely be subject to more media attention than ever before at home, and that can be a distraction, so Jedrzejczyk has decided to set up camp in south Florida, where she is now working with American Top Team.

“I want to make my name more in the U.S.,” she said. “And I feel like I can do this. I moved to Florida last week to American Top Team and I’m very happy. My main coach is former WEC champion Mike Brown, there’s Kami and Katel, and Dyah, who is my boxing coach. I’m very happy, I’m very open, I’m learning every day, I challenge myself every day, and this fight is going to be different and epic and I’m very happy that I made this move.”

On the other side of the Octagon, Kowalkiewicz is staying home for training camp and she’s fine with that.

“I just focus on training and that’s it,” she said. “I don’t have a problem with concentration on training.”

The countdown has already started, and while the clash of compatriots will garner world-wide attention, Jedrzejczyk wanted it to happen on the historic UFC 205 card in NYC.

“Lots of people in Poland, they wanted this fight to happen in Poland, but I wanted this fight to happen here in New York because I am the UFC champion, I defended my title three times and I must enjoy my fights for all the people around the world,” she said. “That’s the main thing. Of course I want to fight in Poland, maybe next year, but it was my dream to fight in New York, and I’m very happy.”

It’s good to be Michael Bisping.

So far in 2016, Bisping not only became the first Brit to win a UFC championship by shocking heavily favored Luke Rockhold at UFC 199, but he also defeated one of MMA’s greats in Anderson Silva and furthered his career outside the Octagon by acting in the upcoming blockbuster xXx sequel alongside Vin Diesel. Add in his supportive family and you get what some would consider the perfect life.

But as the 37-year-old prepares to defend the middleweight championship in front of a raucous home crowd in Manchester, England at Saturday’s UFC 204, it’s easy to forget that it wasn’t always perfect for “The Count.”

Every fighter has a list of obstacles that were overcome on the path to success, but Bisping certainly has more than his share. He paid his dues, and now he’s reaping the benefits.

He isn’t shy about sharing stories of the sacrifices he made to get to where he is – sleeping in his car at times, struggling to make ends meet — but Bisping endured, and things looked to get on track when he won Season Three of The Ultimate Fighter, starting his UFC career with a run of four-straight victories. But stumbles would begin after his first professional loss against Rashad Evans at UFC 78.

Every time he built momentum, a loss would derail that progress. Combine that with numerous personal obstacles, including a detached retina he sustained in a loss against Vitor Belfort in January 2013, and this could easily have been a story about a fighter who had moments of brilliance on the mic and in the Octagon but never fully realized his potential.

Thanks to persistence and a bit of good fortune, this is not that type of story. This is the story of a guy who kept getting back up and is making history – in more ways than one.

Multiple eye surgeries helped him return to the Octagon and following a loss in his return to Tim Kennedy, Bisping has been on a tear – accumulating a 5-1 record over his last six fights, including his current four-win streak.

“I don’t spend time dwelling on all the sacrifices that I’ve made, but it does run through my mind prior to a fight,” Bisping said in the days prior to arriving in Manchester for UFC 204. “Prior to walking out to the Octagon I think about the journey I’ve been on and I think that gets me mentally prepared.”

That mental preparation has been the key recently. Known as a brash talker, Bisping has been working with longtime boxing coach Jason Parillo to unlock his potential and reach new heights.

“He has really worked wonders with me more on the mental side of things,” Bisping said of Parillo. “The physical side has always been there – I trained hard and applied myself, but Jason has worked on the mental side of things and is giving me a more cerebral approach to my fighting. He’s worked on making me nice and calm going into a fight.”

That helped him overcome the odds against Silva in London this past February and even bigger odds when he stepped up on short notice against Rockhold in June to become world champion, earning his 19thcareer UFC win, tied for most all-time (with 15 coming within the middleweight division – a new record). He’s also a must-see fighter in terms of action – he has never been shy about mixing it up and he has landed the most significant strikes in UFC history over his career.

Saturday night, Bisping gets a chance to avenge a past loss against Dan Henderson, who defeated him at UFC 100. But this fight is about more than Hendo for Bisping. He will achieve what no other fighter from the UK has done before, as he brings a world championship fight home to England.

“I don’t lie in bed thinking about getting revenge on Dan Henderson,” Bisping said. “My career has surpassed Dan Henderson and now I’m the champion of the (expletive) world. I have to win this fight – of course I’m the champion and I want to keep the belt, but if I lose to Dan Henderson that’ll be worse than losing it to anybody else – I don’t want to lose to Dan Henderson twice.

“I always dreamed of being here. If I’m honest, I kind of thought it wouldn’t happen, but here we are, I am the champion and my first defense is in Manchester. It really is what childhood dreams are made of. I’m a happy man, I get to represent my country on the world’s stage, I get to rematch a legend of the sport, I get payback on a guy that viciously knocked me out, I get to get paid. There’s a lot on the line here. That’s why I’ve trained accordingly and I get to represent myself, my family and Great Britain. Hopefully I put on a hell of a show.”