The last time we saw Benson Henderson inside the Octagon, he earned a submission victory over Brandon Thatch in a welterweight tilt back in Feb. 2015. As a result of the win, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion snapped the first two-fight skid of his career.
While making the 170-pound weight limit was a “Smooth” transition for Henderson in his first go around, the MMA Lab standout wanted more. That’s why he contacted the decision makers at the UFC to offer his services as Johny Hendricks’ replacement at UFC 192 (via UFC.com):
“I found out (about Hendricks pulling out of UFC 192) when I was at the gym and I was absolutely up for it. One of the great things about fighting at this new weight is that it doesn’t take me much to hit the mark and I definitely could have made the weight limit on a day’s notice. That’s one of the benefits to always staying ready and always being in the gym, even when you aren’t in training camp. I’d already sparred five rounds that day and I was ready to jump on a plane and go fight (Tyron) Woodley. I was about to do more sparring when I slipped off to text Joe Silva, Sean Shelby and Dana White that I would absolutely take the fight, but that apparently wasn’t in their game plan.””
While the fight sounds intriguing, it may not be in the interest of Woodley at this time. “The Chosen One” is set to compete for the welterweight title against the winner of current champion Robbie Lawler and Carlos Condit. That fight is scheduled for Jan. 2, 2016 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas for UFC 195.
Barring any last minute injuries or opportunities, Henderson will meet Thiago Alves at UFC Fight Night 79 on Nov. 28, 2015. It will be a special night for “Smooth” as he will be competing in South Korea. Henderson is of Korean heritage.
