The three stars of 'UFC Fight Night 68: Boetsch vs. Henderson' in New Orleans

The UFC plans to stage 45 events in 2015, and during that time, hundreds of fighters will enter and exit the octagon.

While pre-fight hype is an enjoyable aspect of the sport, it’s ultimately the in-cage performances that speak most to fans. For the majority of fighters, the opportunity to present their skills to the world only comes along a few times per year.

A total of 24 fighters got the chance on Saturday as part of UFC Fight Night 68 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. It was the organization’s return to the city after nearly four years, and nearly every winner (and some of the losers) delivered performances that won’t soon be forgotten.

Now that UFC Fight Night 68 is in the books, it’s time to commence MMAjunkie’s “Three Stars” ceremony.

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Anthony Birchak

Third Star: Anthony Birchak

In terms of fighters who earned victories that were relevant to the top of their respective weight classes, bantamweight Anthony Birchak (12-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) is near the top of the list. He finished former title challenger Joe Soto (15-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with a cringe-worthy knockout less than two minutes into the first round.

Birchak wasn’t afforded much attention ahead of his sophomore UFC appearance after he lost his octagon debut by submission in a mere 64 seconds. He quickly captured the respect of the MMA community when he landed a flurry of strikes that ultimately left Soto face-first on the mat wondering what had happened. (Watch the Birchak vs. Soto video highlights.)

The 135-pound division is one in need of new faces capable of causing a stir in the rankings. If Birchak continues to perform as he did against Soto, it’s entirely possible he could be the one to ruffle some feathers.

Matt Mitrione and Ben Rothwell

Second Star: Ben Rothwell

For the second straight fight, Ben Rothwell (35-9 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was pegged as a betting underdog to his opponent. For the second straight fight, Rothwell silenced the naysayers with a decisive first-round finish.

Rothwell wasn’t as heavy an underdog against Matt Mitrione (9-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) as he was one fight before against Alistair Overeem. However, he still overcame the odds with an impressive submission victory. More importantly, he followed the win with another unforgettable post-fight interview. ? ?”Big Ben” alternated wins and losses over his first six UFC appearances, but has really hit his stride of late. He’s won three in a row, all by stoppage, against credible competition.

Rothwell has long been a middling fighter in the heavyweight division. Now age 33 with 44 professional fights, his maturity and gym time through years in the sport has really started to show in his performances. He dispatched Mitrione with a quick submission (watch the Rothwell vs. Mitrione video highlights), then called for a No. 1 contender bout.

Time will tell if he gets his wish, but if he does, it’s because he’s earned it with strong victories like his latest against Mitrione.

Dan Henderson

First Star: Dan Henderson

There were multiple fighters who deserved the top spot on this list, but none more so than Dan Henderson (31-13 MMA, 8-7 UFC), who was the most talked about competitor after the event.

Henderson was in desperate need of a victory against Tim Boetsch (18-9 MMA, 9-8 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 68 headliner. He got the job done in just 28 seconds when he caught “The Barbarian” with his trademark right hand, then finished the fight. (Watch the Henderson vs. Boetsch video highlights.)

Henderson entered his eighth UFC main event with just one victory in his past six fights. The 44-year-old was pestered by pre-fight retirement talk, but he temporarily put those discussions on hold with the quick stoppage of Boetsch.

The incredible resume held by the former Strikeforce and PRIDE champion stands in class of its own. Henderson’s latest triumph made him the oldest fighter in UFC history to win a fight by knockout. That’s quite the record, but also one he’s surely going to try to beat the next time he steps in the octagon.

Whether or not Henderson can duplicate his effort against Boetsch when facing other top-tier competition remains to be seen. An undeniable truth, however, is that as long as Henderson has a functional right hand, it’s impossible to completely count him out of any situation.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 68, check out the UFC Events section of the site.