When it comes to new MMA free agent Benson Henderson, Combate Global is one top organization that will not pursue the lightweight great on the open market.
Following Bellator 273 this past Saturday, it was revealed that one-time UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson (29-11) had finished out his second contract with Bellator and was officially a free agent. However, after scoring an upset win over surging Russian talent Islam Mamedov in the night’s co-main event, the 38-year-old seemed unsure if he would return to the promotion he has called home since 2016. Leaving the door wide open to the possibility he could take his talents elsewhere.
Benson Henderson is now a free agent
This is my last fight on my deal with Bellator. They pay me a lot of money, and I might have under-fought my contract. Going into the renegotiations, I’m not sure how they’re going to treat me. We’ll see. We’ll find out. But I do know if this was the last one, it was a great way to go out,” Henderson said during his post-fight media scrum. … “I would like to continue fighting, but all the things have to line up.
As a former UFC champion and one of the best lightweights of the last decade, there are sure to be many suitors in the combat sports industry that would be interested in “Smooth’s” services. However, considering his age and the fact he lost three straight before his victory at Bellator 273, Henderson’s true value is up for debate.
Combate Global will not pursue Henderson in free agency
One organization that could benefit from Henderson’s name value is Combate Global. Although the promotion is not known for scooping up big names in free agency, they did jump into the deep end of the open market when they signed UFC Hall-of-Famer Tito Ortiz in 2019. The Bellator veteran would go on to headline their first and only pay-per-view card in December of that year.
The organization continues to pull in strong and consistent ratings for their events on Univision and Paramount+. The addition of a lightweight legend like Henderson could be helpful in bringing even more new eyes to the promotion’s content. However, when MixedMartialArts.com spoke to Combate Global CEO Campbell McLaren about the possibility of signing Henderson, the promotion boss informed the site the organization would not pursue the former UFC star in free agency.
“No interest,” McLaren told MixedMartialArts.com when asked about signing Henderson. “But, not because he isn’t a talented fighter. Combate is hyper-focused on [signing and promoting] 20 to 30-year-old Hispanic fighters.”
Where do you think Henderson will land if he continues his MMA career?
