Monday Morning Hangover: Shogun Rua gets knocked out and suffers broken nose courtesy of Dan Henderson's 'H-Bomb'

Another weekend of fisticuffs has come and gone as UFC Fight Night 38 blew the roof off the Nelio Dias Gymnasium on March 23, 2014, in Natal, Brazil.

Plenty of fighters were left licking their wounds, including Cezar Ferreira, who was knocked out by C.B. Dollaway in just 39 seconds (recap). And Steven Siler, who suffered his second straight loss after getting blasted by Rony Jason in the opening frame (read about it here).

But which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now 24 hours removed from the show?

Mauricio Rua.

The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion looked to get one back from Dan Henderson after "Hendo" defeated him at UFC 139 over two years ago in one of the best fights in the history of the promotion.

In the process, "Shogun" looked to rack up two straight wins for the first time since 2009.

Mission not accomplished.

Rua looked good in the first two rounds of the fight, dropping Henderson on more than one occasion, even coming close to a stoppage victory in the opening frame. But, as "Dangerous Dan" has proven time and again, you can never count him out of a fight, especially with his patented "H-Bomb" just waiting for the slightest of openings to sneaks its way through.

That's exactly what happened, as Henderson delivered a brutal and powerful right hand right to the nose of Rua in round three (pic), who dropped like a sack of potatoes only to be the recipient of another right hand once on the canvas (highlights).

While it didn't mirror the infamous Michael Bisping knockout at UFC 100, this finish was just as brutal for Henderson, as he swarmed his downed foe with a bevy of punches, only to stop after realizing Rua was badly hurt.

And hurt he was, as "Shogun" fell straight back in agony once Herb Dean put a stop to the bout in an eerie site that was hard to watch.

Once the dust cleared, a broken nose and visible pain for Rua was the result of Henderson's punches. While the loss is devastating for Rua's career -- who has gone 1-3 in his last four fights -- an "L" on "Hendo's" record would have been much more devastating.

That's because it would have been the 43-year-old's fourth straight loss.

Nevertheless, "Shogun" will now be forced back to the drawing board after a split-second drop of his guard ruined what was otherwise a dominating performance. Having said that, the 32-year-old striker -- despite this setback -- does have plenty of fight left in him. Is he the world-beater of yesteryear?

Probably not.

But he was coming off an impressive first-round drubbing of James Te Huna and looked like he was on way to win his second straight before the "H-Bomb" found its target.

A fight against Ryan Bader -- who has been rather inconsistent inside the Octagon himself lately -- would be a good comeback fight for Rua.

One that would let us know exactly where "Shogun," a former two-promotion champion, stands in the current mixed martial arts (MMA) landscape.

For full coverage of UFC Fight Night 38: "Shogun vs. Henderson 2," including video highlights, results and recaps, click here.