MMA legend Benson Henderson just competed at the ADCC Arizona Open 2023 on August 4th, 2023 and ended up putting on an impressive performance in the 83kg division. Henderson has a lengthy background in wrestling and was awarded a BJJ black belt in the past, meaning that he has the ideal grappling style to succeed under ADCC rules. He became a professional MMA fighter back in 2006 and within 4 years he had reached the highest levels of the sport, becoming the WEC lightweight world champion and putting together an 11-1 record along the way.
That promotion got absorbed by the UFC and 2 years later he was on top of the world as the champion of the lightweight division there. He only stayed in the UFC for a few years later before making the move to Bellator and although he had three title-shots over the course of his time there, he wasn’t able to add that a title there to his extensive collection. Henderson eventually retired from professional MMA in 2023 and after an incredible 17 years in the sport competing with the best on the planet, he had amassed a record of 30-12. Although he was a very well-rounded fighter, he often took grappling matches on the side and was able to compete with some fantastic grapplers at their own game.
Despite being 39 years old at the time of the ADCC Arizona Open 2023, Benson Henderson actually chose to compete in the adult division and gave a fantastic account of himself. He was up against some tough opposition as his division also included Davis Asare and Andy Varela, but he made it through the first two rounds by beating Casey Stevens 8-0 on points and Anthony Briones 5-0 on points. In his third match he defeated Jack Carmack 3-0 on points to book his place in the quarter-final, but Ernesto Rivera submitted him with a heel hook and he couldn’t make it to the podium.
