Benson Henderson could retire from MMA in 2023, however he by no means stopped competing.
The now 42-year-old veteran was as lively as any martial artist, whether or not it was boxing with the Misfits, throwing down in Karate Fight, and even freestyle wrestling matches with the Royal Air Drive, however he wasn’t doing MMA anymore. However when PFL contacted him about the potential for returning to face rising star Patrick Habilola on the subsequent card in Brussels on Saturday, he was initially hesitant to simply accept, till an government approached him about his return.
“Mike Cogan is the pinnacle matchmaker for Bellator and now the pinnacle matchmaker for PFL. He is an amazing man. I like him. He at all times does the appropriate factor for me,” Henderson defined when chatting with MMA Preventing. “However he is emailed me and he is type of stabbed me with the needle a number of instances, like, ‘Hey, hey, these Henderson guys are on-line saying that, they’re saying that.’ So I am like, folks can say no matter they need, it is cool, it is no massive deal. They do not have it anymore. Jiu-jitsu. I misplaced a combat, I gained one in boxing, I misplaced one in karate fight. It was a really shut break up resolution, however I misplaced that combat. I instructed him, don’t be concerned, I have been following me all this time. Individuals are allowed to have their very own opinions.
“However he stored needling me a number of extra instances after which two days later he texted me and stated, ‘Hey Patrick Habilola, we now have a matchup for you, why do not you remind the world of who you’re, what you do and what you are able to. what? Okay, Cogan. I noticed what you probably did, however let’s simply remind the world of who I’m, what I do, and the way I do it.”
Henderson was signed to a principal occasion combat, however in contrast to many fighters in an identical place, he by no means left the competitors utterly.
He was a relentless coach at his health club, MMA Lab, in Arizona, and was lively sufficient in all different competitions. So, whereas technically it has been three years since he fought, Henderson was nonetheless within the health club preventing veterans, up-and-comers, and everybody in between virtually day by day.
“From the day I retired, the subsequent week I used to be again within the health club and on the mat coaching once more,” Henderson stated. “What our MMA Lab is all about is being the hardest-working health club on the planet. You guys wish to be essentially the most lovely (health club). You guys wish to be the loudest on social media? Do you wish to be the stoner health club? Let’s be the stoner health club. My health club? We’ll be the hardest-working health club on the planet.”
“We at all times come proper again. We combat on Saturday, we return to the health club on Monday, and whether or not we win or lose, we work to get higher. It would not matter. So though we misplaced the combat to Usman (Nurmagomedov), we have been again within the health club on Monday working to get higher. We by no means stopped. We by no means stopped coaching.”
At present, Henderson is simply days away from competing in the primary occasion at PFL Brussels, and whereas he would not wish to give it some thought any additional, the door to preventing once more isn’t closed.
Henderson’s preliminary retirement was largely as a consequence of giving his spouse the time she wanted to deal with her preventing profession, having been by his facet for a few years whereas he fought within the UFC and Bellator.
Sadly, accidents and day off delayed his spouse’s profession, and when the chance got here to return to the PFL, Henderson clearly accepted.
That is why Henderson is taking a wait-and-see perspective, however there is a good probability his return extends past Saturday’s recreation.
“My mindset is one hundred pc simply centered on Patrick,” Henderson stated. “He is a very good up-and-coming participant. He has numerous potential. I believe it is somewhat early to play in opposition to somebody with my degree of expertise, however his coaches are very assured. They suppose he is prepared for a giant step up, a giant take a look at. We’ll discover out this Saturday, Might twenty third.”
“My mindset after beating Patrick, my mindset after the referee pulled him away, goes to be the identical it doesn’t matter what occurs. I had a three-fight contract with the PFL, however I am not itching to combat that man both. I am not trying to put a belt round my waist anymore. I do not wish to make any extra. I will combat him as soon as, however after beating Patrick, he is ranked someplace in these rankings. If they provide me one thing after that, that is for certain.”It is an issue, however I prefer to compete. I’ll compete till my physique reaches its limits. ”
