Sean O'Malley reacts to Benson Henderson's retirement

Former UFC champion Benson Henderson has announced his retirement from mixed martial arts.

In his last fight, Usman Nurmagomedov, the current Bellator lightweight champion, successfully defended his title by defeating Henderson in just two minutes and thirty-seven seconds at Bellator 292.

The main event of the night, held at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, saw Nurmagomedov take down Henderson with a question mark kick, followed by a rear-naked choke submission to claim the victory. It was a quick and impressive win for Nurmagomedov, who has continued to cement his position as one of the best fighters in the world.

Benson Henderson made a shocking announcement in the cage after his loss to Usman Nurmagomedov. In an interview with analyst John McCarthy, Henderson revealed that he was retiring from mixed martial arts.

Despite having two more fights left on his Bellator contract, Henderson had already made up his mind before signing the deal that if he lost, he would call it quits. And true to his word, he announced his retirement from the sport on Friday night. Benson Henderson may have retired, but his legacy as a former UFC champion and accomplished fighter will undoubtedly live on.

'Smooth' now plans to focus on his wife, Maria, who is starting her own MMA journey. With his competitive fighting career over, he will be able to support her as she trains and competes in the sport that they both love.

After Henderson's announcement of retirement, the MMA community showed an outpouring of respect for the former UFC champion, including Sean O'Malley, a notable bantamweight star in the UFC. In a touching social media post, O'Malley paid tribute to Henderson, calling him a legend of the sport. He expressed his admiration for Henderson's accomplishments, noting that he had always been an inspiration for O'Malley, who has himself been making waves in the MMA world.

---

Benson Henderson announces his retirement and addresses the Bellator audience

After competing in Bellator's Lightweight Grand Prix, Benson Henderson pitted himself against one of the hardest lightweights in the MMA world. His quarterfinal match against lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov was a one-sided affair, with his Dagestani opponent winning through first-round submission.

'Smooth' expressed his appreciation to his supporters throughout the world in his post-fight speech:

"Hey, San Jose, I love you! I had some great moments in this building. I had some tough moments in this building. San Jose, you guys always been here, you guys always show up! Thank you guys for that. To the whole world, thank you guys for all the love, all the support throughout my career."

He further added:

"I always told myself, these last four fights I signed with Bellator, I told myself if I lose at all in these last four fights then it’s about that time. I’ve had a nice long run, I’ve done a lot of great things… Thank you to everybody around the world.”

Check out the entire interview below: