CHICAGO -- The landscape of the UFC's lightweight division is about to become more clear -- or perhaps, more murky.
With current champion Anthony Pettis sidelined with a knee injury, former champ Benson Henderson (19-3) and Josh Thomson (20-5) will look to make a statement against the other in a five-round, non-title bout at the United Center on Saturday.
Both lightweights successfully made weight during Friday's official weigh-in. For Henderson, it's his first appearance since losing the title to Pettis in August.
"The biggest thing for me is you can be upset, but eventually you have to get over it," Henderson told ESPN.com. "You have to move on. You can get stuck dwelling on it and that doesn't help you.
"The first thing I wanted to do after the Pettis loss was get over it and realize I had to move on."
He draws an interesting assignment here. Thomson had been scheduled to face Pettis for the 155-pound title, before the champ underwent knee surgery. Thomson has since said he's comfortable accepting multiple fights while Pettis recovers.
All 22 athletes scheduled to compete at the UFC on Fox event on Saturday came in on weight. The card features a heavyweight co-main event between rising prospect Stipe Miocic (10-1) and Brazilian veteran Gabriel Gonzaga (16-7).
Miocic weighed in at 245 pounds for the contest. Gonzaga tipped the scale at 258 pounds, seven short of the heavyweight limit.
