Bellator 292: Can Benson Henderson Rekindle The Magic?

There was a time when Benson Henderson was king of the lightweight division.

Now, the former WEC and UFC champion will look to rekindle that magic beginning Friday night at Bellator 292.

Henderson takes on Usman Numragomedov for the lightweight title live on Showtime. The event takes place from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

Also, the fight will be part of the Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix, which comes with a title and a large prize at the end of it.

A second bout in the GP will see Tofiq Musayev meet Alexandr Shabliy.

The 39-year-old Henderson has been “Smooth” as of late, reeling off back-to-back wins over Peter Queally and Islam Mamedov. He lost three straight prior, but also won four in a row before that.

And of course, his resume reads like a who’s who of the sport. Fights with Michael Chandler, Patricky Pitbull, Jorge Masvidal, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar and so many others.

Nurmagomedov, a cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a perfect 16-0 in his career. He topped Pitbull for the title this past November, adding to his collection of finishes.

Rounding out the main card will be Michael Page vs. Goiti Yamauchi and Valentin Moldavsky vs. Linton Vassell.