Coming into his fortieth pro fight at Bellator 273, Benson Henderson was riding the worst-losing streak of his career after dropping his previous three fights inside the Bellator cage. And getting back into the win column wasn’t going to be a cakewalk because he was taking on a man who hadn’t tasted defeat in over a decade.
But after 15 minutes of back-and-forth action, “Smooth” proved that he is far from done, pulling off a huge split-decision win over Islam Mamedov, snapping the Dagestani wrestler’s 20-fight win streak.
A big opportunity for @BensonHenderson in Round 1 with the guillotine but @Islam__Mamedov escapes!
Watch #Bellator273 LIVE on @SHOSports https://t.co/TbKTQ7lKsu pic.twitter.com/TPJ0WSvWYo
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022
#Bellator273 https://t.co/pWhJbROFMP pic.twitter.com/uFXWXcFdHw
— BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022
It was far from easy because Mamedov has Henderson in some precarious positions throughout the fight, trapping him in some air-tight submission attempts which “Smooth” was able to fight his way out of.
After the fight, Henderson alluded that it could have very well been his final fight, and going out on top in from of his hometown crowd could be the perfect ending of his storied combat career. For now, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion will enjoy the win and ponder his future.
For complete Bellator 273 play-by-play updates and results click here