Benson Henderson (born November 16, 1983) is an American former professional

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

, who most recently competed in the

Lightweight Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing (sport), rowing. Boxing Professional boxing The lightweight division is over 130 pounds (59 kilograms) and up to 135 pounds (61.2 kilograms) boxing weight classes, weight class in the spor ...

division for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) was an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 by Bjorn Rebney and operated until 2025. The promotion takes its name from ''wikt:bellator, bellātor ...

. He is a former

UFC Lightweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

and WEC Lightweight Champion. He is considered one of the greatest lightweight MMA fighters of all time and is tied with B.J. Penn,

Frankie Edgar Frankie Edgar (born October 16, 1981) is an American former professional mixed martial artist, who most recently competed in the Bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Beginning his career in the Lightweight division ...

, and

Khabib Nurmagomedov Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...

for the second-most UFC lightweight title defenses.

Early life

Henderson was born in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is the most populous city in El Paso County, Colorado, United States, and its county seat. The city had a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, a 15.02% increase since 2010 United States Census, 2 ...

to a

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, people from the Korean peninsula or of Korean descent * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Korean **Korean dialects **See also: North–South differences in t ...

mother and an

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

father. Benson has an older brother, Julius, who was born in Korea. He was raised in

Federal Way, Washington Federal Way is a city in King County, Washington, United States and part of the Seattle metropolitan area. One of the most recently incorporated cities in the county, its population was 101,030 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Feder ...

. When Henderson was approximately 9 years old, his mother, Song, insisted that he take

Tae Kwon Do Taekwondo (; ; ) is a Korean martial art and combat sport involving primarily kicking techniques and punching. "Taekwondo" can be translated as ''tae'' ("strike with foot"), ''kwon'' ("strike with hand"), and ''do'' ("the art or way"). In a ...

lessons with his brother. "She's Korean, I'm half-Korean, and it's the traditional Korean martial art, so she wanted us to do that to get a little bit of the culture and tradition," he says. Both Benson and his brother attained black belts in Tae Kwon Do. He attended Decatur High School from 1998 to 2001. Benson became a part of the high school's

wrestling Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...

team. After graduating from high school, he attended

Dana College Dana College was a private college in Blair, Nebraska. Its rural 150-acre (607,000 m2) campus is approximately 26 miles (40 km) northwest of Omaha, Nebraska, Omaha and overlooks a portion of the Missouri River Valley. It closed in 2010. T ...

Blair, Nebraska Blair is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 7,990 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Blair is a part of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, Omaha-Council Bluffs Me ...

and graduated in 2006 with a double major in criminal justice and sociology. While attending Dana College, Henderson was on the

team, and was twice named an NAIA All-American.

Mixed martial arts career

Henderson turned professional in 2006, winning his first match against Dan Gregary. He lost his third fight to Rocky Johnson via technical submission. However, this defeat was a minor setback. He rebounded with four straight wins before facing his toughest fight yet, against a UFC veteran, Diego Saraiva. Henderson came prepared as he dominated Saraiva for three rounds, winning a unanimous decision and his 7th professional win.

World Extreme Cagefighting

WEC Lightweight Championship

Three months later, Henderson made his World Extreme Cagefighting debut on January 25, 2009, at

WEC 38 ''WEC 38: Varner vs. Cerrone'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 25, 2009. It aired live on the Versus Network. In the main event, WEC Lightweight Champion Jamie Varner defended his title against undef ...

against

Anthony Njokuani Anthony Obinna Njokuani (born March 1, 1980) is a Nigerian-American professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer. A professional competitor since 2003, Njokuani has also formerly competed for the UFC, WEC, and ONE Championship. Background B ...

. Henderson defeated Njokuani with a guillotine choke early in round two. Henderson faced

Shane Roller Shane Derrick Roller (born July 14, 1979) is a retired American mixed martial artist who is perhaps best known in his career for competing as a Lightweight for the UFC and WEC. Background Roller was born and raised in Bixby, Oklahoma, along wit ...

on April 5, 2009, at

WEC 40 ''WEC 40: Torres vs. Mizugaki'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on April 5, 2009 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois. The event aired live on the Versus (TV channel), Versus Network. Background This was the ...

. Henderson won the bout via first-round TKO.

Interim WEC Lightweight Championship

Henderson was given an opportunity to fight for the Interim WEC Lightweight Championship against

Donald Cerrone Donald Anthony Cerrone (born March 29, 1983), known professionally by his nickname "Cowboy", is an American former professional mixed martial artist, kickboxer, and actor. He competed in the Lightweight and Welterweight divisions of the Ultima ...

when lightweight champion

Jamie Varner James Varner (born October 12, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former WEC Lightweight Champion. Background Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Varner attended Deer ...

was unable to defend his title due to an injury. The fight took place on October 10, 2009, at

WEC 43 ''WEC 43: Cerrone vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on October 10, 2009, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Background The event was scheduled to take place on September 2, 2009, at the Co ...

. Henderson won an exciting back-and-forth fight by unanimous decision. Both Henderson and Cerrone were awarded with an additional purse of $20,000 for ''Fight of the Night''. The bout was also awarded ''2009 Fight of the Year'' for all of

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

by ''

Sherdog.com Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

Undisputed WEC Lightweight Championship

Henderson faced Jamie Varner to unify the WEC Lightweight Championship at

WEC 46 ''WEC 46: Varner vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting on January 10, 2010. It took place at the ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. Background Mark Hominick was scheduled to face Yves Jabouin on t ...

on January 10, 2010. After being outboxed and outwrestled in the first two rounds, Henderson came back and caught Varner in a standing guillotine choke ending the fight at 2:41 of the third round. Henderson had his first title defense in a rematch with Donald Cerrone on April 24, 2010, at

WEC 48 ''UFC Presents: Aldo vs. Faber'', also referred to as ''WEC 48: Aldo vs. Faber'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on April 24, 2010 at ARCO Arena in Sacramento, California. This was WEC's first an ...

. defeating Cerrone via guillotine choke in the first round. The win earned him a ''Submission of the Night'' bonus award. Henderson faced

Anthony Pettis Anthony Paul Pettis (born January 27, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist, and professional boxer. Pettis formerly fought in the Welterweight, Lightweight, and Featherweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) ...

on December 16, 2010, at

WEC 53 ''WEC 53: Henderson vs. Pettis'' was a mixed martial arts event held by World Extreme Cagefighting that took place on December 16, 2010 at Jobing.com Arena in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, Arizona. The event was the first time that Zuffa has ...

. Henderson lost his title by unanimous decision. The fight won ''Fight of the Night'' honors.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In October 2010,

World Extreme Cagefighting World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) was an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion founded in 2001. It was purchased by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in 2006. In its final incarnation, it was mad ...

merged with the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...

. As part of the merger, all WEC fighters were transferred to the UFC. Henderson made his UFC debut at

UFC 129 ''UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background The event was the sixth that the UFC has hosted in ...

on April 30, 2011, where he faced

Mark Bocek Mark Bocek (; born October 24, 1981) is a Canadian retired mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. A professional competitor for ten years from 2004 to 2014, Bocek has also formerly com ...

. Henderson won the fight via unanimous decision. Henderson next faced Jim Miller on August 14, 2011, at

UFC on Versus 5 ''UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle'' (also known as ''UFC on Versus 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 14, 2011, at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The event was the first that the UFC h ...

. Henderson dominated the streaking Miller throughout the fight, utilizing a stiff jab, great transitions, and vicious ground and pound throughout the match to snap Miller's 7 fight win streak, the third longest in the UFC at the time. Despite being threatened with multiple deep submission attempts, Henderson escaped each attempt and advanced position with increasingly brutal punches and elbows. He earned a unanimous decision (30-27, 29–28, 30–26). Henderson faced

Clay Guida Clayton Charles Guida (; born December 8, 1981) is an American professional mixed martial artist, who competed in the UFC in the Lightweight division. A professional since 2003, Guida also formerly competed for Strikeforce, the WEC, King of the ...

on November 12, 2011, at

UFC on Fox 1 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The large ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision after three rounds in an action packed war that earned both fighters ''Fight of the Night'' honors. With the win, he became the #1 contender for the UFC Lightweight title.

UFC Lightweight Championship

Henderson faced

on February 26, 2012, at

UFC 144 ''UFC 144: Edgar vs. Henderson'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 26, 2012, at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. Venue UFC 144 was held at the Saitama Super Arena in the ...

. Henderson defeated Edgar via unanimous decision to become the new

. Both participants earned ''Fight of the Night'' honors for their performance. A rematch with Edgar took place on August 11, 2012, at

UFC 150 ''UFC 150: Henderson vs. Edgar II'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 11, 2012, at the Ball Arena, Pepsi Center now known as Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. Background A fight between Dennis Hal ...

. In a bout that was very tightly contested, Henderson defeated Edgar again, this time via split decision. Henderson faced

Nate Diaz Nathan Donald Diaz (born April 16, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist and professional boxer who is currently a free agent. Diaz is most known for his time spent fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he fought for ov ...

on December 8, 2012, at

UFC on Fox 5 ''UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 5'') was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 8, 2012, at KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. It was broadcast live on Fox Sports. ...

. Henderson punished Diaz with kicks, superior wrestling and ground and pound, Henderson knocked Diaz down twice with punches and was able to take his back on numerous occasions earning a unanimous decision victory. Henderson faced the final Strikeforce Lightweight Champion, and promotional newcomer

Gilbert Melendez Gilbert Melendez (born April 12, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a two-time Strikeforce Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightwei ...

on April 20, 2013, at

UFC on Fox 7 The year 2013 was the 21st year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2013 started with ''UFC on FX: Belfort vs. Bisping''. 2013 also saw the introduction of the wom ...

. Henderson won the fight by a closely contested split decision. After 3 consecutive wins to retain the title, Henderson tied B.J. Penn with the highest number of title defenses as a lightweight.

Title loss and post title return

Henderson was expected to face

T. J. Grant TJ Grant (born February 26, 1984) is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Grant began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at the age of 15 and then also ...

on August 31, 2013, at

UFC 164 ''UFC 164: Henderson vs. Pettis 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 31, 2013, at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Background The main event was expected to be a UFC Lightweight Championship bout between the cur ...

. However, Grant was forced out of the bout with an injury, setting up a rematch with Anthony Pettis who defeated Henderson last time they fought via unanimous decision at the final WEC event,

. Pettis defeated Henderson via submission (armbar) in the first round. This is the second time Henderson lost his championship belt and title to Pettis. In his first post-title loss fight, Henderson faced

Josh Thomson Joshua Joseph Thomson (born September 21, 1978) is an American mixed martial arts podcaster, commentator, analyst and former mixed martial artist. A professional competitor since 2001, Thomson has competed in Bellator MMA, PRIDE, Strikeforce, U ...

on January 25, 2014, in the main event at

UFC on Fox 10 ''UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 10'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 25, 2014, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois. Background A lightweight bout between former WEC Lightweight Championship ...

. Henderson defeated Thomson via split decision. He nearly became the first man to submit Thomson when he caught Thomson in a standing arm-triangle choke. Many media outlets and observers were split on who they thought should have been declared the winner. Thomson had one more takedown (5 to 4) and was able to secure Henderson's back on multiple occasions, while Henderson was able to significantly outstrike Thomson (114 to 33) over the duration of the bout and was credited with the bout's only submission attempt. Henderson faced

Rustam Khabilov Rustam Mikailovich Khabilov (born 4 November 1986) is a Russian mixed martial artist, who last competed in the Welterweight division. He is a Combat Sambo World Champion and a former member of the Legion Sport Club fight team in Rostov-on-Don ...

on June 7, 2014, in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov. He won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the fourth round. The win also earned Henderson his first ''Performance of the Night'' bonus award. Henderson headlined

UFC Fight Night 49 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 49'') was a mixed martial arts event held on August 23, 2014, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Background The event was headlined by Lightweight contenders Benson ...

against

Rafael dos Anjos Rafael Souza dos Anjos (; born 26 October 1984), also known by his initials RDA, is a Brazilian and American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Champion ...

on August 23, 2014. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Henderson was scheduled to fight

Eddie Alvarez Edward Alvarez (born January 11, 1984) is an American professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist and Bare-knuckle boxing, bare-knuckle boxer who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championsh ...

on January 18, 2015, at

UFC Fight Night 59 ''UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 59'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 18, 2015, at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Background The event was headlined by a featherweight bout between ...

. However, Alvarez pulled out of the fight in early January due to illness, and was replaced by Donald Cerrone in a rematch. Henderson lost the fight via a controversial unanimous decision. 12 of 14 media outlets scored the bout in favor of Henderson.

Switching weight classes

Henderson decided to make the move up to welterweight after a spot became available at

UFC Fight Night 60 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 60'') was a mixed martial arts event held on February 14, 2015, at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado. Background The event was the third that the UFC has hosted a ...

with

Brandon Thatch Brandon Michael Mathew Thatch (born July 11, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Thatch was adopted at age five by his m ...

on February 14, 2015, in the event headliner at

, where he replaced an injured Stephen Thompson. Henderson won the back and forth fight via submission in the fourth round. A bout with Michael Johnson was initially linked as the event headliner for The Ultimate Fighter 21 Finale on July 12, 2015. Although never officially announced by the UFC, the bout between Henderson and Johnson will not take place at this event. Subsequently, Henderson revealed his intentions to return, at least temporarily, to the welterweight division and targeted a return date of November 2015 and a possible appearance on the UFC's inaugural event in

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. Henderson was expected to face Thiago Alves on November 28, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 79. However, on November 14, 2015, Alves pulled out the bout citing injury and was replaced by

Jorge Masvidal Jorge Luis Masvidal (born November 12, 1984) is an American professional boxer and former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Welterweight and Lightweight divisions. Masvidal competed professionally for 20 years from 2003 unti ...

. Henderson won the back-and-forth fight via split decision.

Bellator MMA

On February 1, 2016, Henderson announced that he had signed with

. In his debut, he faced

Andrey Koreshkov Andrey Andreevich Koreshkov (Russian: Андрей Андреевич Корешков, born August 23, 1990) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the welterweight division of Bellator MMA. He is the former Bellator Welterw ...

on April 22, 2016, at Bellator 153 for the Bellator Welterweight Championship. Henderson lost the fight by unanimous decision.

Title contention and title shot

For his second fight with the promotion, Henderson made his return to the lightweight division to fight

Patrício Pitbull Patrício Andre de Sousa Freire (born July 7, 1987), known professionally as Patrício Pitbull, is a Brazilian professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist currently competing in the Featherweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Champi ...

in the main event at Bellator 160 on August 26, 2016. The bout ended in anticlimactic fashion as Pitbull stopped himself early in round two to declare he had sustained a leg injury. As a result, Henderson was awarded a TKO victory due to injury and earned a title shot against

Michael Chandler Michael Chandler Jr. (born April 24, 1986) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Chandler previously competed for Bellator MMA from 2010 ...

. It was revealed post-fight that Freire had broken his shin in the first round after Henderson checked a low kick with his knee. On August 31, 2016, it was announced that Henderson would challenge

for the Bellator Lightweight Championship on November 19, 2016, at Bellator 165. Henderson lost the back-and-forth bout via split decision.

Post-title shot reign

Henderson faced Patricky Pitbull at Bellator 183 on September 23, 2017. He lost the fight via split decision. Henderson faced returning Bellator veteran

Roger Huerta Roger Huerta (born May 20, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently fighting in the lightweight division. He initially gained exposure by competing in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Bellator Fighting Ch ...

in the main event at Bellator 196 on April 6, 2018. He won the fight via submission in the second round. Henderson faced Saad Awad at Bellator 208 on October 13, 2018. He won the fight by unanimous decision. In November 2018, Bellator officials revealed that Henderson had signed a new exclusive, long-term contract with Bellator. Henderson next faced Adam Piccolotti at Bellator 220 on April 27, 2019. He won the fight via split decision. 8 out of 9 media scores gave it to Piccolotti. Henderson faced Bellator newcomer

Myles Jury Myles Madison Jury (born October 31, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist, who competes in the Lightweight division. He has most notably fought for Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Bellator MMA. He is a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-J ...

in the headliner of Bellator 227 on September 27, 2019. He won the fight by unanimous decision. On October 25, 2019, it was announced that Henderson would next rematch

at Bellator & Rizin: Japan on December 29, 2019. However, Henderson was forced to withdraw from the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Sidney Outlaw. The rematch was rescheduled to take place at Bellator 244 on June 6, 2020. However, the event was postponed due to the

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...

pandemic. The rematch eventually took place on August 7, 2020, at Bellator 243. Henderson lost the fight via knockout in the first round. Henderson then moved up to Welterweight to face Jason Jackson on November 28, 2020, at Bellator 253. Jackson controlled a majority of the fight, winning via unanimous decision in an upset victory. Henderson faced

Brent Primus Brent Primus (born April 12, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing for the PFL. He formerly competed for Bellator MMA, where he was a one-time Bellator Lightweight World Champion. Background Born and raised in Eugene, O ...

on October 16, 2021, at

Bellator 268 Bellator 268: Nemkov vs. Anglickas (also known as ''Bellator Phoenix'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on October 16, 2021, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Background The eve ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Henderson faced Islam Mamedov on January 29, 2022, at Bellator 273. He won the back-and-forth fight via split decision, ending a three-fight losing streak in what was his last fight on his prevailing contract. On March 23, 2022, it was announced that Henderson had signed a new multi-fight contract with Bellator. Henderson faced Peter Queally on September 23, 2022, at

Bellator 285 ''Bellator 285: Henderson vs. Queally'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA, that took place on 23 September 2022 at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland. Background Bellator returned to Dublin for the second time in 2022, feat ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision.

Lightweight Grand Prix

Being announced as one of the participants of the $1 million Lightweight Grand Prix, in the quarterfinals, Henderson faced reigning champion Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator Lightweight World Championship on March 10, 2023, at Bellator 292. He lost the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the first round, and subsequently announced his retirement during the post-fight interview.

Global Fight League

On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Henderson was signed by Global Fight League. Henderson was scheduled to face

in the inaugural Global Fight League event on May 24, 2025 at GFL 1. However, all GFL events were postponed indefinitely.

Professional grappling career

Henderson competed against fellow MMA veteran Ben Saunders in a superfight at UFC Fight Pass Invitational 1 on December 16, 2021, and won the match by unanimous decision. He then faced

Demian Maia Demian Augusto Maia Baptista (born 6 November 1977) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist, submission grappler and 5th degree Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt. Maia competed in both the Welterweight and Middleweight divisio ...

in the main event of

Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...

20 on June 25, 2022, losing the match by unanimous decision. Henderson entered the ADCC Arizona Open on August 5, 2023, and went 3–1 in the 83 kg division. Henderson competed in a welterweight no gi match against

Neiman Gracie Neiman Gracie (born Neiman Gracie Stambowsky December 12, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner. A two-time Pan-American champion in coloured belts, Gracie medalled at the 2013 black belt World No-Gi ...

as the main event of ADXC 1 on October 20, 2023. He lost the match by submission.

Boxing career

Stake Pro Tournament

On August 20, 2024 it was announced that Henderson would make his professional boxing debut in a tournament hosted by

Stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...

on MF & DAZN: X Series 18 – Stake Pro Tournament Card on September 14 at the

Vertu Motors Arena The Vertu Motors Arena (formerly the Eagles Community Arena) is a multi-purpose built venue for events, meetings, sports and the community in the Elswick area of the city of Newcastle, England. The arena has a capacity for up to 3,500 spectato ...

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

, England. His first opponent in the semifinals was American

Chris Avila with English

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory auth ...

Idris Virgo vs English

influencer A social media influencer, or simply influencer (also known as an online influencer), is a person who builds a grassroots online presence through engaging content such as photos, videos, and updates. This is done by using direct audience intera ...

Fes Batista in the other bracket. Henderson defeated Avila by unanimous decision and advanced to the finals, where he faced Idris Virgo in the co-main event. Henderson was defeated by Virgo by unanimous decision.

Personal life

Henderson is a Christian and often refers to his faith in post-fight interviews. He is also a teetotaler, having never consumed alcohol or drugs in his life. Henderson has three sons and a daughter with his wife, Maria. Henderson proposed to his fiancée in the Octagon after his win over Gilbert Melendez at

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

UFC Lightweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight class ...

(One time; former) *** Three successful title defenses **Tied ( B.J. Penn,

and

) for the second most consecutive Lightweight title defenses in UFC history (3) ** Generic_belt_icon

Unified the UFC Lightweight and Strikeforce Lightweight Championships ** Fight of the Night (Three times) ** Performance of the Night (One time) **UFC.com Awards ***2011: Ranked #2 Import of the Year, Ranked #5 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #3 Fight of the Year ***2012: Fighter of the Year & Ranked #4 Fight of the Year *

WEC Lightweight Championship This is a list of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) champions at each weight class. In December 2006 World Extreme Cagefighting was bought by Zuffa, LLC, the parent company of the UFC, to concentrate on the four smaller weight classes under th ...

(One time; former) *** One successful title defense ** Generic_belt_icon

Interim

(One time; former) ** Fight of the Night (Two times) ** Submission of the Night (One time) *

ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...

**2012 Fighter of the Year **2012 Fight of the Year vs. Frankie Edgar at

**2015 Best Fight of the Half-Year vs. Brandon Thatch *

Inside MMA ''Inside MMA'' was a live mixed martial arts news magazine, which aired on AXS TV, immediately following the network's live AXS TV Fights broadcasts. Hosted by Mauro Ranallo and UFC Hall of Famer Bas Rutten, the series provided an in-depth lo ...

**2012 Fighter of the Year Bazzie Award *MMAWeekly.com **2012 Fighter of the Year *FightMatrix.com **2012 Fighter of the Year *MMAFighting.com **2010 Fight of the Year vs. Anthony Pettis on December 16 **2009 Fight of the Year vs. Donald Cerrone on October 10 *

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

**2010 Fight of the Year vs. Anthony Pettis on December 16 *

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...

**2009 Fight of the Year vs. Donald Cerrone on October 10 *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

** 2012 Fighter of the Year ** 2009 Fight of the Year vs. Donald Cerrone on October 10

Submission grappling

International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a for-profit company that hosts several of the biggest Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments in the world, including the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, World No-Gi Championship, Pan Jiu-Jit ...

**2011 World Jiu-Jitsu Championship Brown Belt Bronze Medalist **2014 World Jiu Jitsu No-Gi Championship Black Belt Bronze Medalist *Arizona State Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation **AZSBJJF MVP of the Year (2010) **Arizona State Championship Brown Belt Middleweight Gold Medalist (Two times) **Arizona State Championship Purple Belt Middleweight Gold Medalist (Two times) **Arizona State Championship Openweight Gold Medalist (Three times)

Amateur wrestling

National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for higher education, colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic schola ...

** NAIA

All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

(2005, 2006) *

Washington Interscholastic Activities Association The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) is the governing body of athletics and activities for secondary education schools in the state of Washington. As of October 2024, the private, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization consists ...

** WIAA 4A High School State Championship Runner-up (2001) ** WIAA 4A All-State (2001)

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Loss , align=center, 30–12 , Usman Nurmagomedov , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Bellator 292 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:37 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially the City of San José ( ; ), is a cultural, commercial, and political center within Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area. With a city population of 997,368 and a metropolitan area population of 1.95 million, it is ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 30–11 , Peter Queally , Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

, Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 29–11 , Islam Mamedov , Decision (split) , Bellator 273 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–11 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–10 , Jason Jackson , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 253 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uncasville, Connecticut Uncasville is a village in the town of Montville, Connecticut, United States. It is located in southeastern Montville, at the mouth of the Oxoboxo River where it flows into the Thames River. The name is now applied more generally to all of the ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 28–9 ,

, KO (punches) , Bellator 243 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:09 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 28–8 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 227 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, Ireland , , - , Win , align=center, 27–8 , Adam Piccolotti , Decision (split) , Bellator 220 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 26–8 , Saad Awad , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 208 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Uniondale, New York Uniondale is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in central Nassau County, New York, on Long Island, in the Town of Hempstead, within the New York metropolitan area. The population was 32,473 at the time of the 2020 United States census ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 25–8 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) , Bellator 196 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:49 ,

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, Hungary , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–8 , Patricky Pitbull , Decision (split) , Bellator 183 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 24–7 ,

, Decision (split) , Bellator 165 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 24–6 ,

, TKO (leg injury) , Bellator 160 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 2:26 ,

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 23–6 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 153 , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–5 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Masvidal , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, South Korea , , - , Win , align=center, 22–5 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Thatch , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 3:58 ,

Broomfield, Colorado Broomfield is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county located in the United States, U.S. Colorado, state of Colorado. It has a consolidated government which operates under Article XX, Sect ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–5 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC Fight Night: McGregor vs. Siver , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 21–4 ,

, KO (punch) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. dos Anjos , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:31 ,

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa ( ) is the List of municipalities in Oklahoma, second-most-populous city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the List of United States cities by population, 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The po ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–3 ,

, Submission (rear-naked choke) , UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov , , align=center, 4 , align=center, 1:16 ,

Albuquerque, New Mexico Albuquerque ( ; ), also known as ABQ, Burque, the Duke City, and in the past 'the Q', is the List of municipalities in New Mexico, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico, and the county seat of Bernalillo County, New Mexico, Bernal ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–3 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Thomson , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Chicago, Illinois Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 19–3 ,

, Submission (armbar) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:31 ,

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 19–2 ,

, Decision (split) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Melendez , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 18–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz , , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is the List of municipalities in Washington, most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the List of Unit ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 17–2 ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Denver, Colorado Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 16–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 , Saitama, Japan , , - , Win , align=center, 15–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) , UFC on Fox: Velasquez vs. dos Santos , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 14–2 , Jim Miller , Decision (unanimous) , UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

Glendale, Arizona Glendale () is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States. Located about nine miles northwest of the state capital Phoenix, Glendale is known for State Farm Stadium, which is the home of the Arizona Cardinals football team. The city al ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 12–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:57 ,

Sacramento, California Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 11–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 2:41 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 10–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 9–1 ,

, TKO (punches) ,

, , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:41 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–1 ,

, Submission (guillotine choke) ,

, , align=center, 2 , align=center, 0:42 ,

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 7–1 , Diego Saraiva , Decision (unanimous) , Evolution MMA 1 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 6–1 ,

Ricardo Tirloni Ricardo Tirloni (born February 3, 1983) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Lightweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2005, Tirloni has fought in various promotions, including Bellator, the MFC, and Pancrase. ...

, Submission (guillotine choke) , MFC 17 , , align=center, 2 , align=center, 3:49 ,

Edmonton, Alberta Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 5–1 , Mike Maestas , Submission (rear-naked choke) , MFC 16 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:11 ,

, Canada , , - , Win , align=center, 4–1 , Bryan Corley , Submission (rear-naked choke) , Victory FC 21 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 2:36 ,

Council Bluffs, Iowa Council Bluffs is a city in and the county seat of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 62,799 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the state's List of cities in Iowa, te ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 3–1 , David Dagloria , TKO (submission to punches) , Ultimate Combat Experience: Round 26: Episode 12 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:45 ,

Ogden, Utah Ogden ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Weber County, Utah, Weber County, Utah, United States, approximately east of the Great Salt Lake and north of Salt Lake City. The population was 87,321 in 2020, according to the United States Census ...

, United States , , - , Loss , align=center, 2–1 , Rocky Johnson , Technical Submission (anaconda choke) , Battlequest 5 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 0:46 ,

Vail, Colorado Vail is a Home rule in the United States, home rule municipality in Eagle County, Colorado, Eagle County, Colorado, United States. The population of the town was 4,835 in 2020. Home to Vail Ski Resort, the largest ski mountain in Colorado, the ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 2–0 , Allen Williams , TKO (punches) , Victory FC 18 , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 1:37 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 1–0 , Dan Gregary , TKO (submission to punches) , Midwest CF: Genesis , , align=center, 1 , align=center, 4:21 ,

North Platte, Nebraska North Platte is a city in and the county seat of Lincoln County, Nebraska, United States. It is located in the west-central part of the state, along Interstate 80, at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers forming the Platte River. ...

, United States ,

Karate Combat record

, - , Loss , align=center, 0–1 ,

, Decision (unanimous) ,

Karate Combat Karate Combat (KC) is a brand which promotes the first professional full-contact karate league, hosting worldwide events since April 2018. The private company is headquartered in Dubai and was founded by Robert Bryan. Karate Combat is owned by t ...

43 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:00 , align=left,

Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

, United States ,

Boxing record

Pay-per-view bouts

References

External links

* * * *
Ben Henderson Quotes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Henderson, Ben African-American mixed martial artists American male mixed martial artists American sportspeople of Korean descent American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu American male taekwondo practitioners American submission wrestlers American male sport wrestlers Amateur wrestlers Mixed martial artists from Colorado Mixed martial artists from Washington (state) Lightweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing taekwondo Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu Ultimate Fighting Championship champions World Extreme Cagefighting champions 1983 births Living people Sportspeople from Federal Way, Washington Martial artists from Phoenix, Arizona Dana College alumni American Christians Bellator male fighters Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century African-American sportsmen