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'UFC on FOX 7: Henderson vs. Melendez' tickets on sale next week | News

Tickets for UFC on FOX 7, which features a lightweight title fight between current champion Benson Henderson (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC), go on sale next week.

The event takes place April 20 at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. The evening's main card airs on FOX following prelims on FX.

"Benson Henderson wants to beat Gilbert Melendez to prove once and for all that he's the best lightweight in the world," UFC President Dana White stated. "Gilbert was a champion in Strikeforce, and he's been on an incredible tear. Benson wants this fight badly, and I'm excited that it's headlining such a stacked card.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m. ET local time (10 a.m. PT local time). However, UFC Fight Club members can buy tickets on Feb. 13 at 1 p.m. ET, and UFC.com e-newsletter subscribers can purchase tickets on Feb. 14 at 1 p.m. ET. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and range from $50 to $250.

Since his time in the WEC, where he once held the lightweight title, Henderson has posted a 6-0 mark in the UFC with six decision wins. He won the title in early 2012 with a victory over then-champ Frankie Edgar, and then defended it in an immediate rematch with Edgar. Then, back in December in UFC on FOX 5's headliner, he posted a victory over top contender Nate Diaz.

Melendez, meanwhile, is on a seven-fight win streak of his own. The longtime Strikeforce titleholder was slated to fight Pat Healy this past weekend at Strikeforce's final show, but he was forced off the card with a shoulder injury. His recent wins have come over top non-UFC lightweights, including Shinya Aoki, Tatsuya Kawajiri, Jorge Masvidal and Josh Thomson.

In addition to the night's headliner, the evening's lineup also includes Strikeforce import Daniel Cormier (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) against former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir (16-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC), Nate Diaz (16-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC) vs. Josh Thomson (19-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Matt Brown (16-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC) vs. Dan Hardy (25-10 MMA, 6-4 UFC).