| |
 |
|
Exclusive interview with WEC Lightweight Champion Ben Henderson
Undisputed WEC Lightweight Champion Benson
Henderson (11-1, 4-0 WEC) is a quiet, unassuming young man with an
exciting fight style. He is coming off the biggest win of his
career, a guillotine submission win over former champ Jamie Varner
at WEC 46 this past Sunday in Sacramento, CA. Now, with his sudden
celebrity, the task falls to him and the WEC to market this 26
year-old Christian to the masses. With four straight victories in
the WEC over world class opponents like Varner, Donald Cerrone,
Anthony Njokuani, and Shane Roller, and nine finishes in his eleven
wins, it’s only a matter of time. I spoke with Henderson earlier
today, and I find him to be a likeable guy with a good sense of
humor. Enjoy…
Phil Lanides: How are you feeling?
Benson Henderson: I’m feeling good, everything’s going pretty well.
I’m just trying to enjoy the moment.
PL: I was at the fights. A lot of the media around me felt that
Jaime was winning the fight when you finished it. Were you stressed
or worried at all?
BH: I knew it was going to come eventually. I expected him to come
out gangbusters and go all out, so I knew I’d need to be patient and
wait for my opening. If it came in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th round, I
knew I’d get my opportunity. So really, it pretty much went
according to plan.
PL: That’s the thing about submissions: they can come due to fatigue
or due to an opening. Would you agree?
BH: Yeah, I agree. It was a tight fight. I felt it was a great
fight, and I felt good that I got the victory. I got the guillotine,
and it felt tight, so I locked it in and got the tap.
PL: How does it feel to be the undisputed champion? What does that
mean to you?
BH: It feels pretty good. It means a lot. It’s a lot of validation,
in regards to choosing this career path. It wasn’t for silly
reasons, it was all worth it. I work hard everyday in practice, I’ve
turned down other jobs, and all that was for this right here. To go
out there, each and every fight, make it worth it, and prove myself
all over again.
PL: You’re still on your way to being well-known. The Donald Cerrone
fight was what introduced you to the national audience. What makes
you different? What about you will help the WEC to market you?
BH: Every fighter is unique, every fighter has their own unique
story. What makes me different is my story, told from my
perspective. I may not be super-marketable. But every person,
whether you’re a CPA, a reporter, or a teacher, you have a story.
And I think I am unique in that way: I have my own unique story.
PL: And what is your story?
BH: I grew up with a single mother who was Korean and couldn’t speak
English very well. Growing up in less than the best neighborhood,
not everyone went to college, not a lot of guys I grew up with made
it good. Just your typical ‘overcoming the odds’ story.
PL: What’s next for you? Who do you want next?
BH: I have no idea, to be honest, and it doesn’t matter. I’ll fight
anyone. There are a couple names I’m hearing, but I don’t really
like playing the guessing game. There are four guys that are
qualified, and I may end up facing any of them. Jaime Varner,
because he was the champ. Donald Cerrone…he fought for the title
twice last year. Anthony Njokuani with three KO of the Night
awards…he’s making a strong case. And Shane Roller as well. He’s had
two pretty good performances since we fought. So those are the next
guys I’m hearing about right now. But the funny thing is that I’ve
actually beaten all four of them on my way up. So it would be a
rematch with any of them.
PL: You came out to Kirk Franklin’s “Revolution,” and you’ve made a
point of proclaiming your Christianity. How do you feel about
fighting and following Christ?
BH: Most of my walkout songs have been to Kirk Franklin songs, and I
would love to meet him. The greatest thing would be if I could do a
walkout with him by my side, doing one of his songs live. That would
be so awesome! As far as being a Christian and fighting, I feel like
it’s a sport just like other physical sports like football and
hockey. I just happen to be fighting. We’re in there trying to be
the best, compete, and get the W.
PL: So you’re pretty basic in your belief regarding this?
BH: Yeah, you could say that. Some of the best warriors ever were
Christians. Whether we always agree with them or not, they
considered themselves to be strong Christians.
PL: Getting back to your career, what is your ultimate goal in the
sport, or did you just reach it?
BH: My ultimate goal in the sport is to be the best fighter in the
sport, pound-for-pound, period. I’m obviously not there yet. There
are a few guys ahead of on the list now, but hopefully I’ll get
there.
PL: A lot of people consider B.J. Penn to be one of the top
pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Is he your dream opponent?
How would that fight go?
BH: I don’t really have a dream fight, per se. I just want to fight
the best fighters on the planet. To me, B.J. is the best on the
planet, period. But I just want to fight the best, beat the best.
And I want to beat the top-ten list, I want to go through them
one-by-one.
PL: Thanks for your time, Ben.
BH: It was my pleasure.
For more from Phil Lanides check out
http://www.examiner.com/x-9970-San-Jose-MMA-Examiner
http://www.fightofyourlife.com/
|
