Benson Henderson scored a monumental upset against Khabib Nurmagomedov's highly-touted teammate Islam Mamedov.
Mamedov, who was unbeaten in his last 20 fights, came into Bellator 273 as a prohibitive betting favorite. However, it was Henderson's grit that made the difference as 'Smooth' grinded out a close split decision victory after three rounds.
After the contest, Henderson indicated that he's contemplating retirement. The 38-year-old veteran said the win meant so much to him because it could very well be his last professional fight. In his post-fight interview, Henderson said:
"This was the most important fight of my entire career. I don't know if I'll ever fight again, so going out with a W is good. That's the way to go, in front of your hometown of Phoenix, Arizona! Thank you very much!"
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Needless to say, MMA fighters and fans alike were pleasantly surprised by Henderson's vintage performance. Here's how MMA Twitter reacted to Henderson's age-defying victory at Bellator 273
MMA fighters react to Benson Henderson vs. Islam Mamedov
Fellow former UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn congratulated Benson Henderson on his spectacular win. Meanwhile, UFC heavyweight standout Tanner Boser said it was nice to finally see Henderson win after his three-fight skid.
Meanwhile, a couple of former competitors were seemingly happy to witness Henderson's triumphant moment. Bellator lightweight stars Brent Primus and Patricky Pitbull hopped on Twitter to extend their congratulatory messages to Henderson. The latter even called his former rival "an inspiration."
MMA media members react to Benson Henderson vs. Islam Mamedov
Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell of Morning Kombat were apparently astounded by Henderson defying the odds. Their sentiments were echoed by Adam Martin, who pointed out that Henderson deserved the win since he was the more active fighter, even from the bottom position.
Meanwhile, Mike Heck of MMA Fighting and Aaron Bronsteter of TSN both appreciated Henderson's display of grit. According to them, Henderson's will to win was the difference-maker in the fight.
Finally, there are those who tried to predict what Henderson's next move could be. Simon Samano of MMA Junkie and John Hyo Ko of South China Morning Post theorized that Henderson could go to Eagle FC. Meanwhile, Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting said Henderson isn't necessarily retiring despite having fought out his Bellator contract.