Bellator 292 Highlights: Benson Henderson retires following submission loss to Usman Nurmagomedov

Benny A. King

Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson announced his retirement from MMA after he was submitted in the first round by Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292.

The retirement came as a result of a RNC submission from Nurmagomedov after flooring Henderson with a question mark kick in the opening minutes.

Nurmagomedov was cornered by Islam Makhachev who was delighted to see the finish.

Previously Henderson edged out a win against another Khabib Nurmagomedov protage.

Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of retired UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, kept the family name flying high in the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix quarter-finals by stopping his opponent, Benson Henderson.

After being submitted for only the second time in nine years, Henderson gave an emotional farewell speech to the world during his cage interview.

“To the whole world, thank you guys for all the love and all the support throughout my career. ”

“I’ve had a nice long run, and I’ve done a lot of great things… Thank you to everybody around the world.”

 

He thanked his fans for their support throughout his career and left his gloves inside the cage as a symbolic gesture of his retirement.

Despite his loss to Nurmagomedov, Henderson retired with a professional record of 42-30-12 and a long resume of accolades. He had three consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses in 2012 and 2013, tied for the record with BJ Penn, Frankie Edgar, and Khabib Nurmagomedov. The 39-year-old is also a former WEC lightweight champion and had victories over notable figures such as Frankie Edgar, Josh Thomson, Nate Diaz, Jim Miller, Clay Guida, Donald Cerrone, and Patricio Freire.

Although his retirement marks the end of an era for Benson Henderson, his contributions to the sport of MMA will always be remembered. As for Usman Nurmagomedov, his impressive performance at Bellator 292 proves that the Nurmagomedov legacy in MMA is far from over.