It all comes down to UFC 173 for Daniel Cormier

Dan Henderson was struggling. Twice he'd pulled himself off the mat after Mauricio "Shogun" Rua had dropped him in the title bout at UFC Fight Night 38, his legs wobbling beneath him after Rua's counter left hook in the first round and a sharp right upper cut in the second. The 44-year-old Henderson would undoubtedly face questions about his age and abilities in the post-bout presser, as it became tougher and tougher to watch the former Olympian lose the way he had been lately.

But wrapped up in the third, Henderson had a window, and with the sharp, knockout swat that he's known for in his right hand, he sent Rua backwards to the ground, dragging the fight's momentum with his teeth in the other direction. Rua barely touched down before Henderson was on him, feeding him right after right before he could recover.

Nearby, Daniel Cormier watched eagerly as his idol celebrated the end of a three-bout skid. Having admired Henderson from afar, Cormier's work as a FOX MMA analyst was giving him a closer look at a man he'd respected since the two had competed alongside each other in 2004 and 2008 Olympics Greco-roman wrestling.

"The most time Dan and I ever spent together was Monday in Los Angeles doing media," says Cormier. "We'd spent time together, but I was more of a fan of Dan Henderson from afar. When I would see him, he'd be very nice to me. But it would mostly be me watching him thinking, 'this dude is pretty cool.'"

Closer still will be the look that Cormier gets on Saturday night, when he climbs out of the booth and into the Octagon to face fellow light heavyweight Henderson as part of UFC 173's co-main event. Having been a firsthand witness to Henderson's last four fights, Cormier has an extensive knowledge of his opponent's arsenal.

"I think that what really helps is that in my work for FOX," Cormier says. "I'm so in tune with Dan Henderson right now it's ridiculous. It helps."

The match-up, following Cormier's destruction of underdog fill-in Pat Cummins in UFC 170, is properly penultimate for Cormier, who is calling the bout his last chance; battling a fighter he's always respected in a fight that requires perfection.

"In Russia, I never quite got to the top, and I'm getting a second chance in MMA," Cormier admits. "I don't have the luxury, at 35 years old, of having a hiccup. The pressure's more on me, because I know that this is my last chance to do something really special in regards to my athletic career."

His past as a two-time Olympian ended without a medal of any kind; in 2004, he placed fourth, and in 2008, as captain of the U.S. wrestling team, he experienced kidney failure and could not compete. Since then, Cormier has been searching fist-first for the championship that evaded him, though winning gold on the global stage remains incomparable.

"I've wanted to be an Olympic champion since I was 16 years old," he recalls. "So it's kind of hard to say that anything would equal that, but I don't know until I get the opportunity to train and become the UFC champion, then I'll know. Right now, the Olympics is something that stands alone. We'll see once I get the opportunity to start training for the UFC title."

Despite his future hanging in the balance, Cormier is unable to look past Henderson. Right now, it's the only thing that matters, as his personal stake in the bout is both higher and deeper than any before it.

"The ability to dream is taken away if I lose on Saturday night. I don't have the option of being the UFC champion anymore. This is my focus, I'm ready for it, I've worked hard for it, and I can't wait to get into the cage with Dan Henderson. "

He'll just have to keep an eye on that right hand.