'UFC's Road to the Octagon' returns Sunday ahead of UFC on FOX 7

Ahead of the UFC’s next network-televised event, the “UFC’s Road to the Octagon” preview special returns Sunday for a new one-hour episode.

The show focuses on UFC on FOX 7, which takes place April 20 with a lightweight title fight between current champ Benson Henderson (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and final Strikeforce titleholder Gilbert Melendez (21-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

“Road to the Octagon” airs at 5 p.m. ET/PT on FOX. (However, check your local listings since it may air at another time in certain markets.)

The special goes inside the training camps and personal lives of the night’s headliners, who fight at HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif. FX and Facebook carry the night’s prelims.

In addition to the title fight, “Road to the Octagon” also is expected to spotlight some of the other main-card fights: heavyweights Daniel Cormier (11-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) vs. Frank Mir (16-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC), lightweights Josh Thomson (19-5 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. Nate Diaz (16-8 MMA, 11-6 UFC), and Matt Brown (16-11 MMA, 6-5 UFC) vs. Jordan Mein (27-8 MMA, 1-0 UFC).

The full UFC on FOX 7 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

• Champ Benson Henderson vs. Gilbert Melendez – for lightweight title
• Daniel Cormier vs. Frank Mir
• Nate Diaz vs. Josh Thomson
• Matt Brown vs. Jordan Mein

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)

• Darren Elkins vs. Chad Mendes
• Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck
• Francis Carmont vs. Lorenz Larkin
• Myles Jury vs. Ramsey Nijem
• Joseph Benavidez vs. Darren Uyenoyama
• Jorge Masvidal vs. Tim Means

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3:35 p.m. ET)

• T.J. Dillashaw vs. Hugo Viana
• Roger Bowling vs. Anthony Njokuani
• Clifford Starks vs. Yoel Romero

For more on UFC on FOX 7, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Benson Henderson)