Benson Henderson Returns to MMA After Three-Year Hiatus, Eyes Comeback Against Patrick Habirora Benson Henderson is set to make his first MMA return in three years, facing Patrick Habirora at the PFL event in Brussels on May 23. The 42-year-old, who retired from MMA in 2023, initially hesitated to come back but was convinced by PFL matchmaker Mike Kogan. Kogan’s persistent messages about online criticism and the need to “remind the world who I am” eventually swayed Henderson. “He kept needling me a couple of times,” Henderson said, recalling how Kogan’s texts about online chatter and the opportunity to prove himself pushed him to accept the fight. “I told him, I don’t care. People have been after me my whole career. I’ve done all right. People are allowed to have their opinion.” After Kogan offered the matchup against Habirora, Henderson agreed, stating, “Sounds good, Kogan. I noticed what you did but sure, let’s do it. Let’s remind the world who I am and what I’ve done and how I do it. That sounds good to me.” Henderson’s retirement from MMA did not mean he stopped competing entirely. While he stepped away from MMA, he remained active in other combat sports, including boxing, Karate Combat, and freestyle wrestling. He continued coaching at his gym, The MMA Lab in Arizona, and trained daily, staying engaged with the fighting world. “Since the day I retired, I was back in the gym the next week, on the mats training again,” he said. His gym’s philosophy focuses on relentless work ethic, with Henderson emphasizing that “we’re going to be the hardest working gym in the world.” This mindset carried over into his personal training, as he continued to push himself physically and mentally. “We fight on Saturdays and back in the gym on Monday working to get better, win or lose, it doesn’t matter,” he explained.#brussels #pfl #benson_henderson #patrick_habirora #the_mma_lab
