The New Year in Mixed Martial Arts is set to get off to a killer start with the first UFC event of 2009, UFC 93,  coming up on January 17 taking place in Dublin, Ireland's new O2-Dublin arena, which opens just a few weeks earlier, in December of this year.

The light-heavyweight main event that evening looks like it will be former UFC middleweight champ Rich Franklin (11-2 UFC, 24-3 MMA) might be facing down former PRIDE 2-division world champ Dan Henderson (3-2 UFC, 23-7 MMA) for 3 intense rounds of raw MMA action.

Fans can also look forward to a surprising rumored rematch between 2005 PRIDE Grand Prix Champ Mauricio Rua (0-1 UFC, 16-3 MMA) and Mark Coleman (6-3 UFC, 15-8 MMA), the UFC Hall of Famer who broken "Shogun" Rua's arm when the two last met in Japan in 2006.

See all the bone-crushing action right from home via pay-per-view on Jan, 17, 2009, 7 pm PT/11 pm ET.

Filed under: UFC Fight Night