Benson Henderson
UFC 2011–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 90.0
Scouting report
Submission escapes, leg kicks, and cardiovascular endurance propelled Benson "Smooth" Henderson to reign as UFC Lightweight Champion. Born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Henderson defended the UFC lightweight belt three consecutive times against Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, and Gilbert Melendez. His resilience and engine are demonstrated by a 94 Cardio rating, 79 BJJ, and 90 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Henderson captured and defended the UFC Lightweight Championship throughout 2012 and 2013, defeating Frankie Edgar twice, dominating Nate Diaz at UFC on Fox 5 in Seattle, and outpointing Gilbert Melendez before losing the belt to Anthony Pettis via armbar at UFC 164 in Milwaukee. His championship cardio conditioning, leg kicks, and scramble defense are reflected in a 96 Cardio and 88 Wrestling.
Between 2014 and 2015, Henderson submitted Rustam Khabilov with a rear-naked choke in Albuquerque and defeated Josh Thomson by decision, before moving to welterweight and submitting Brandon Thatch in Broomfield and outpointing Jorge Masvidal by split decision in Seoul, South Korea. His versatility, kickboxing output, and submission defense anchor his 88 Kickboxing and 90 Fight IQ across both divisions.
Draft Benson Henderson into your build
Benson Henderson enters the pool on any spin landing on lightweight between 2010 and 2015. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are our own, built from independent research and from how Benson Henderson is regarded by the MMA community, with the EA Sports UFC games used only as a starting baseline for the scale. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Benson Henderson's real-world abilities. See the disclaimer below.