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By Raphael Garcia


The greatest mixed martial artists in recent memory span across a variety of styles and skills — Frankie Edgar, Jon Jones, Demetrious Johnson are all worthy of inclusion among the sport's elite.

Another name that deserves consideration is Benson Henderson.

As the former UFC champion preps for his Bellator debut on April 22, Henderson's legacy is still a murky topic. But Friday is his opportunity to change that and make MMA history. With a win, he will become the only fighter to hold a title in the WEC, UFC and Bellator. He’s slated to face Andrey Koreshkov for the welterweight title in a bout that's flying under the radar.

Henderson’s resume screams success — his overall record is 23-5, which includes wins over Edgar, Gilbert Melendez, Nate Diaz and Josh Thomson. After putting on spectacular performances in the WEC, Henderson set the stage as one of the first WEC stars to emerge as a true contender within the UFC lightweight division. After three consecutive wins in the Octagon, Henderson received his shot at the title at UFC 144, and that's when everything changed.

Henderson’s style of wrestling and volume striking was always there, but the fans’ perception of it suddenly shifted. He went from a fighter that put on exciting bouts, such as his back-and-forth battle with Clay Guida at UFC on FOX 1, to an individual widely criticized for winning close, and sometimes controversial decisions. His ability to implement strategy allowed him to win a lot of fights in the eyes of judges that fans and other experts scored the other way. But those opinions shouldn’t swing the consistency that “Smooth” has provided throughout his career.

His recent role as a progressive leader deserves recognition as well. Henderson kicked off what many consider the next phase of MMA free agency when he fought out his contract with the UFC and signed with Bellator in early 2016. While he isn’t the first to do so, his efforts may be remembered as starting a small shift in power that MMA athletes can embrace.

“Moving from the UFC to a rival organization in Bellator is a big deal,” Henderson said while speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “I’ve had a couple of current titleholders hit me up, a ton of fighters hit me up, and ask what the process is like. It’s a business. If there’s one thing Lorenzo Fertitta understands, it's business. He understands those decisions. You want options. You want to see what your name and brand brings to the table. I have to take advantage of the limited number of years that I have.”

While those years may be limited, Henderson has a big night coming up on Friday that could help cement his place among the best to ever compete in the sport. Winning the Bellator welterweight title may not cause as much commotion as a certain recent retirement tweet, but it still deserves the recognition that has long escaped Benson “Smooth” Henderson.