As I’m sure most of you know by now, former UFC lightweight champion and current welterweight Benson Henderson has decided not to renew his contract with the UFC, and has instead signed with Bellator.
He released a statement on his website on Monday announcing his decision, graciously thanking the UFC and everyone involved in his career, though he declined to elaborate on any specifics. That is, until now. We now know that the Reebok deal, which has caused a tremendous amount of controversy, was a large factor in his decision.
“The ability to get sponsors on your own and not have to rely on the amount that Reebok dictates to you was a huge factor. I’d be straight up lying if I said it wasn’t a very big part of my decision to go to Bellator.”
“I also want to be a trailblazer for the betterment of fighters. Bellator is open to a fighters union fighters binding together to see what’s in our best interest. That’s something you can’t even breathe about elsewhere. I think it’s a good thing for myself and other fighters to have that.”
It will be interesting to see what happens next following Henderson’s departure from the UFC. Bellator has had some elite talent before, but a former UFC champion and perennial contender in Benson Henderson is a huge bulwark for Bellator’s standing in the MMA game. They have shifted their trajectory from the proverbial “B-league” promotion into a serious rival and competitor to the UFC.
A number of fighters have expressed discontent with the Reebok deal; some fighters have been more vocal than others regarding their position and rationale behind either leaving the UFC or stepping away from MMA entirely. Among the most notable fighters is former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, who decided it was financially prudent to invest his time in his enormously successful podcast, The Fighter and the Kid.
Bellator’s next event is scheduled for February 19th at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX. The main card features two aging legends and UFC Hall-of-Famers Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock, while the co-main features South Florida’s finest street fighters Kimbo Slice and Dada 5000.
As Bellator continues to acquire top level talent like Benson Henderson, we can expect them to move towards more divisionally relevant fights.
Stay tuned, folks!
