Federal Way native Benson Henderson will be fighting in the octagon again on Valentine’s Day.

Just last month he took on Donald Cerrone at UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver in Boston.

After taking a loss in his last fight, Henderson was eager to get back in the octagon as quickly as possible. An injury to fellow UFC fighter, Stephen Thompson, opened up a spot to headline UFC Fight Night 60. Henderson stepped in on two weeks notice.

“I’ve always been an anyone, anytime, anyplace type of guy,” said Henderson, a Decatur High School graduate. “I never really had the chance because when you’re defending a belt, you can’t really do that.”

This bout will be a bit different than Henderson’s usual fights as he will move up from the Lightweight division to the Welterweight division to take on Brandon Thatch, a fighter boasting an impressive 11-1 record.

“I did not know a whole lot about Brandon Thatch until I was offered to fight against him,” Henderson said. “No disrespect to him, I was not really paying attention to fighters in his weight class before I took this fight.”

Thatch has ended 11 of his 12 fights in the first round. The only one to go a full three rounds remains his only loss. He has ended fights through both submissions and knockouts.

He is 5 inches taller than Henderson and will boast a reach advantage of nearly the same amount.

Henderson has had one month to add 15 pounds to his previous weight. He does not feel as though the weight gain has affected him mentally.

“There are pros and cons to it,” Henderson said. “Sometimes it’s good for you. You don’t have too much time to get out of shape. You just have to be smart and judge those pros and cons.”

Henderson’s loss at UFC Fight Night 59 marked the first time in his career he lost consecutive fights. The fight was so close that many believe a draw would have been a more fitting result.

Henderson stated that the close nature of his last bout will not change the way he approaches the fight. While he may not match the power of his opponent, his speed and stamina could be a difference.

“We’ll find out come Saturday if a longer fight is beneficial,” he said. “I’ve had a history of going five rounds with a lot of success in those five rounds. We’ll find out come Feb. 14.”

The fight will take place in Thatch and Henderson’s birth state of Colorado. Though Henderson did not live there for long, it is where he started his fighting career.

“I love fighting in Colorado,” says Henderson. “I got a lot of love out there and I really love the fans there.”

UFC Fight Night 60: Henderson vs. Thatch will take place at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14 and will be broadcast on Fox Sports 1.