Benson Henderson says uncertain future in UFC forced him to leave
Benson Henderson joined Bellator MMA knowing exactly what was in store for him.
On Monday, the former lightweight champion ended a 14-fight run with the UFC in which he won 11 fights, including three defenses of the organization's 155-pound title. UFC president Dana White said Henderson signed with Bellator due to the promotion offering more money up front as opposed to him potentially making more money should he win a UFC belt again.
Henderson has stressed that money wasn't a priority, especially with the UFC's fickle pay structure.
"If your boss tells you that he'll pay you a bunch more money if you become the champion but your boss is the one who decides whether or not you'll ever get the chance to fight for the title, well that doesn't look quite as appealing when you break it down that way now does it?" Henderson said, according to Duane Finley of FanSided.com. "I think the die-hard MMA fans could see that right away, but casual fans of the sport probably don't pick up the particular wording in that statement.
"The UFC can sit there and promise you the moon, but it's ultimately up to them to actually give you the opportunity. What's the point of having that stipulation if it's beyond my control to earn it? This is about legacy for me."
Before making the jump to Bellator, Henderson won two straight fights at 170 pounds after already fighting a who's-who of the UFC's lightweight division. The change in scenery provides a plethora of options for the fighter, who occasionally found himself in matchmaking limbo after such a long tenure with the UFC.
"There are a lot of great matchups and it's an exciting time for Bellator," Henderson said. "We are going to get the chance to see fights that MMA fans talked about but never had the chance to see. We aren't going to see someone like (Bellator lightweight champion) Will Brooks step in against a former UFC champion who happened to come over 10 years past his prime. We are going to see that fight when both men are at their best and get a real answer to see how things stack up. And that's a pretty cool thing to find out."
Henderson's first fight will be for the Bellator welterweight title against Andrey Koreshkov on April 22.