Benson Henderson has revealed the reasons behind his return to mixed martial arts, after previously stating he was stepping away from competition. The former WEC and UFC champion is set to headline PFL Brussels on May 23rd, facing Patrick Habirora in the Smart Cage.
Although Henderson has remained active in various martial arts disciplines, including wrestling, jiu-jitsu, boxing, and Karate Combat, this fight marks his return to mixed martial arts after retiring from the sport. When questioned about PFL’s Mike Kogan encouraging his comeback to MMA under the PFL banner, Benson Henderson explained:
“Yeah, it was definitely Mike Kogan. He’s a smart guy. I love the guy. He’s awesome. He’s a good guy. But yeah, he’s definitely poking me a little bit, talking a little bit of mess. Saying, ‘Oh, people online, they’re saying this, they’re saying that, and yada yada.’ I was like, ‘Ah, people online, they can say whatever they want.’ Everyone is entitled to their opinion.”
“But he poked me a little bit, and the next day he let it simmer with me for a little while. He let it simmer with me for like a whole day. The next day, he texted me, ‘Oh, I got an opponent for you.’ I was like, ‘Okay, I see what you’re doing there. I see, I see. That’s smart, Kogan. That’s smart. Yeah, let’s go. Sign me up. Oh, let me go beat this kid up. Let me go remind everybody who I am, what it is I do, and how I do it.'”
While Patrick Habirora boasts an undefeated record, many consider this to be the most significant challenge of his career thus far. Habirora is also the crowd favorite, but Henderson finds motivation in competing in hostile territory.
Regarding his opponent’s fighting style, with Habirora coming off three consecutive first-round finishes, Benson Henderson commented:
“I think Patrick’s really tough. I think he’s really good. I did not know who he was when they first gave me his name. But I looked him up and was able to watch his whole career. Eight fights, not too many. I was able to watch his whole career and see the progression he made along the way. I think he could be good. I think he could be; the thing I watch for is to see how much guys improve fight to fight. See if they have the same holes, the same openings, the same weaknesses. They make the same mistakes from fight to fight.”
Benson Henderson Acknowledges Patrick Habirora’s Development but Believes He’s on a Higher Level
As the 42-year-old legend discussed the intricacies of the upcoming bout, Benson Henderson elaborated:
“Patrick has gotten better in all of his fights. He actually has improved. You can see the improvement if you go watch all his past eight fights. So I think it’s really tough. I think he’s really good. I think it’s just a little bit much. I think it’s a big step for him to go from the competition that he was at, that he did face. Even though his last two opponents were former UFC fighters, I still don’t think that they had the experience level that I have. I don’t think they quite bring the things to the table that I bring to the table.”
“Physically as well as what I’ve done, how I kind of approach the game, and what I can bring to that Smart Cage. So I think it’s just a bit of a big step for him, but that’s what we’re here to find out. Obviously him, his coaches, his management team, they think that it’s not a big step. They think that he’s going to go get his hand raised, and it’s my job to make sure the referee pulls me off of him.”