Michael Chandler pens heartfelt farewell message for Benson Henderson after retirement news

The legendary Benson Henderson laid down his gloves and retired from the sport after almost 17 years in the business on Friday. The development prompted Michael Chandler to share a heartfelt farewell message about the lightweight.

Following a two-fight win streak, 'Smooth' was on the receiving end of a rear-naked submission choke loss and decided it was time to call an end to his career in MMA.

In a post on social media, Michael Chandler reminisced about sharing the cage with Benson Henderson and insisted the 39-year-old was one of the greatest to ever compete in the cage.

"Congrats on a beautiful and illustrious career Benson Henderson. It was an honor to watch you for years, aspire to compete against you and then share the cage with you. You're truly one of the best of all time."

Michael Chandler has twice shared the cage with the retired lightweight and was victorious on both occasions. At Bellator 165 and Bellator 243, the pair locked horns and after their first razor-close split decision, 'Iron' made no mistake in the rematch by scoring a huge knockout in the first round.

Henderson has been involved in some iconic moments throughout his years in the sport. In his final WEC bout, the lightweight matched up against Anthony Pettis for the first time and was hit with one of the most memorable strikes in the history of the sport when his opponent landed what is now known as the 'Showtime Kick'.

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Benson Henderson's UFC record: How did the lightweight veteran fare in the octagon?

Making his UFC debut against Mark Bocek in 2011, Henderson was already a big name in the sport from his days as the reigning WEC 155lb king.

It took him just three fights to be given his first shot at UFC gold and he took the opportunity with open arms, beating Frankie Edgar by unanimous decision. 'The Answer' was given an immediate rematch but again came up short to the BJJ Black Belt.

Henderson's seven-fight unbeaten run—which included a win over Nate Diaz—came to an end in his rematch against Anthony Pettis. The 155er went 4-2 in his remaining fights under the UFC banner, beating Josh Thomson and Jorge Masvidal and losing to Donald Cerrone and Rafael dos Anjos in that time.

Overall, Henderson ended his UFC career in November 2015 with a record of 11-3.