Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is hoping he’ll make the Hall of Fame.
‘Smooth’ returned to the cage over the weekend at Bellator 292. The former UFC champion faced the undefeated Usman Nurmagomedov in the main event, with the goal of handing him his first loss. Prior to the bout, Henderson revealed his plans to win the tournament, and then retire.
Sadly, the storybook ending didn’t come for the former lightweight titleholder. Henderson was dropped from a head kick early and wound up being submitted by Nurmagomeov in the first frame. Following the defeat, he decided to call it quits a bit early, retiring in the cage.
While Benson Henderson was with Bellator upon his retirement, that doesn’t mean he didn’t appreciate his time in the UFC. During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, the former champion discussed his retirement.
There, ‘Smooth’ admitted that he was hoping for a UFC Hall of Fame induction to come one day. While he’s not going to sit around waiting for the honor, he would deeply appreciate it.
“I would definitely appreciate it.” Benson Henderson stated on The MMA Hour when asked about being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. “My man said, ‘If you live for that acceptance, you will die from the rejection’. So, while it would be nice to have that, like any accolade you get, it’s cool. It’s nice, awesome, it’s not bad at all. It shows that the organization cares about what you’ve done, and what you’ve accomplished.”
He continued, “But at the same time it’s not something you live for… I think if I were to ever get into the UFC Hall of Fame that would be awesome. I’m all about it, it would be great to get up there in a suit and tie… For sure, I’d have a lot of respect and appreciation for that acknowledgment.”
What do you make of these comments? Do you think Benson Henderson should go into the UFC Hall of Fame? Sound off in the comment section below PENN Nation!
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Erasmo Stoval