That Benson Henderson defected from the UFC to Bellator as a free agent may or may not go down as a groundbreaking movement to inspire others to test their worth. But it certainly is in keeping with Henderson’s tendency to march to the beat of an entirely different drum circle.
Henderson has been doing his own damn thang for years. He was the first to show up to every public occasion wearing a scarf and a Rasta hat, even on humid summer days. His hair drove people crazy for a while there, as he was constantly sweeping a curly bang behind an ear before setting up his next combo. He fought with a toothpick in his mouth, as if his opponent was part of the overall meal he was digesting. Soon commissions were inspecting his mouth down to the uvula to make sure he wasn’t hiding anything before he stepped in the cage. One time, when he beat Gilbert Melendez on national television, he proposed to his then-girlfriend in the Octagon (she accepted). Another time he agreed to fight Khabib Nurmagomedov, only to later find out it was Rustam Khabilov. He shrugged his shoulders. Did we mention he’s a teetotaler? He’s never been tempted into the cups, not even in college.
And if you don’t know by now, Benson Henderson’s best friend was born in a manger. He’s never been shy about his more celestial affiliations.
In some ways, Henderson’s signing with Bellator was just kind of par for the course. And as he was sitting with his new Spike affiliates in New York City in mid-February, taking in the new sets of suits, "Bendo" was adapting to his latest bold decisions on the fly.
"I would think so," he told MMA Fighting, when asked if this was just the latest in his acts of overall autonomy. "I would agree [that I’m doing my own thing]. Not drinking, not smoking, not doing any of that sort of thing growing up. It was definitely not the norm for high school kids, for college kids, to not do that kind of stuff. In that sense I can sort of understand.
"I guess that, yeah, it would apply too in my career path, too, my career choice, deciding to exit out of the UFC and not sign a contract extension and signing with Bellator, I think that is another big step. Obviously it’s the best thing for my family. I think a lot of the other fighters will start to see, start to recognize, you’ve got to do what’s best for your family."
LINK: Benson Henderson blazes a path, but he doesn’t get bogged down with who follows
