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  • Patrick Habirora Puts Away Benson Henderson In Just 20 Seconds

    For Patrick Habirora, it was the statement win over an MMA legend that gave a notable name on his resume. For Benson Henderson, it was a disastrous return to MMA after his retirement three years earlier.

    Habirora defeated Henderson by knockout in just 20 seconds in the main event of PFL Brussels.

    Habirora started to get things going, feeling things out with Henderson while landing a big body kick.

    But Habirora brought things to an end quickly when he connected with a left hand that slumped Henderson face-first in the center of the cage.

    Patrick Habirora KOs Benson Henderson In Mere Seconds At PFL Brussels

    Habirora is now 9-0 as a pro, including a 4-0 PFL record. He came into this bout off first-round knockouts of Danny Roberts and Kevin Jousset in 2025.

    This marked Henderson’s first MMA fight since 2023. While the former UFC and WEC champion has fought in boxing, Karate Combat, and RAF since, Henderson last fought MMA at Bellator 292, retiring after unsuccessfully challenging Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title.

  • PFL Brussels Results: Habirora vs. Henderson Live Updates And Highlights

    PFL Brussels results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from the ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium. The main event will feature a welterweight bout between Patrick Habirora and Benson Henderson. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    Patrick Habirora vs. Benson Henderson – Welterweight Main Event

    Patrick Habirora is one of Europe’s hottest MMA prospects, let alone perhaps PFL’s. Habirora is 8-0 in professional MMA, including a 4-0 PFL record so far, with seven finishes to his name. He comes into this bout off back-to-back first-round finishes of Danny Roberts and Kevin Jousset.

    Henderson, the former UFC and WEC lightweight champion, comes out of retirement for his first professional MMA bout in three years. Henderson’s last MMA fight came at Bellator 292, when he unsuccessfully challenged Usman Nurmagomedov for the Bellator lightweight title during the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix.

    Henderson has since kept busy in other disciplines, defeating Chris Avila and losing to Idris Virgo in boxing, losing to Anthony Pettis in Karate Combat, and losing to Aljamain Sterling in RAF.

    The co-main event will be a bantamweight contest featuring Taylor Lapilus and Jake Hadley.

    Lapilus has won five straight and 11 of his last 12, which includes a 3-1 stint with the UFC. Lapilus is 3-0 since moving from the UFC to the PFL, most recently finishing Kasum Kasumov at PFL Lyon in December.

    Hadley, the former Cage Warriors champion, had his own stint in the UFC after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series. After going 3-4 with the UFC between 2022 and 2024, Hadley arrived at the PFL last year. He scored a Scottish twister submission of Matheus Mattos before losing to eventual Bantamweight World Tournament champion Marcirley Alves.

    If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from PFL Brussels!

    How to Watch PFL Brussels

    • Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
    • Venue: ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium
    • Streaming: ESPN Unlimited (full card), ESPN2 (main card), ESPN+ (prelims)
    • Prelims: 12:30 PM ET / 9:30 AM PT
    • Main Card: 3 PM ET / 12 PM PT

    PFL Brussels Quick Results

    • Main Event: Patrick Habirora vs. Benson Henderson – Patrick Habirora def. Benson Henderson via KO (Rd. 1, 0:20)
    • Co-Main: Taylor Lapilus vs. Jake Hadley – Taylor Lapilus def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)
    • Boris Mbarga Atangana vs. Jared Gooden – Boris Mbarga Atangana def. Jared Gooden via TKO (Rd. 1, 1:05)
    • Marcirley Alves vs. Naoki Inoue – Naoki Inoue def. Marcirley Alves via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
    • Asael Adjoudj vs. Keisuke Sasu – Asael Adjoudj def. Keisuke Sasu via KO (Rd. 2, 2:22)

    PFL Brussels Results & Highlights

    Preliminary Card (ESPN+, 12:30 PM ET)

    Welterweight: Rustam Serbiev vs Ashley Reece

    Result: Ashley Reece def. Rustam Serbiev via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

    Featherweight: Adam Meskini vs Keweny Lopes

    Result: Adam Meskini def. Keweny Lopes via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

    Welterweight: Khamzat Abaev vs Luca Poclit

    Result: Khamzat Abaev def. Luca Poclit via TKO (Rd. 1, 2:56)

    Bantamweight: Movsar Ibragimov vs Youssouf Binate

    Result: Movsar Ibragimov def. Youssouf Binate via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 1, 3:28)

    Light Heavyweight: Joe Schilling vs. Donegi Abena

    Result: Donegi Abena def. Joe Schilling via TKO (retirement) (Rd. 1, 0:37)

    Bantamweight: Baris Adiguzel vs Gustavo Oliveira

    Result: Gustavo Oliveira def. Baris Adiguzel via submission (guillotine choke) (Rd. 2, 1:10)

    Main Card (ESPN+, 3 PM ET)

    Featherweight: Asael Adjoudj vs Keisuke Sasu

    Result: Asael Adjoudj def. Keisuke Sasu via KO (Rd. 2, 2:22)

    Bantamweight: Marcirley Alves vs Naoki Inoue

    Result: Naoki Inoue def. Marcirley Alves via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

    Middleweight: Boris Mbarga Atangana vs Jared Gooden

    Result: Boris Mbarga Atangana def. Jared Gooden via TKO (Rd. 1, 1:05)

    Bantamweight: Taylor Lapilus vs Jake Hadley

    Result: Taylor Lapilus def. Jake Hadley via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    Welterweight: Patrick Habirora vs. Benson Henderson

    Result: Patrick Habirora def. Benson Henderson via KO (Rd. 1, 0:20)

  • WATCH: PFL Brussels Faceoff Turns Ugly As Fighters And Teams Brawl While Dan Hardy Gets Caught In Wild Crossfire

    Tensions boiled over ahead of PFL Brussels as a scheduled bout nearly erupted a day early during the ceremonial weigh-ins.

    What was supposed to be a routine faceoff between Khamzat Abaev and Luca Poclit quickly spiraled into chaos when both fighters brought unexpected intensity to the stage. Poclit stepped forward aggressively with his guard raised, prompting an immediate reaction from Abaev.

    The situation escalated within seconds. Abaev responded with a shove and even swung a kick in close quarters, forcing officials to step in. However, attempts to calm things down only made matters worse, as members of both camps got involved and punches began flying behind them.

    In the middle of it all was Dan Hardy, who was overseeing the faceoffs. The former UFC fighter found himself caught in the chaos, nearly getting struck during the exchange as he tried to keep the fighters separated.

    Despite Hardy’s efforts, the situation briefly spiraled out of control before security intervened and restored order. No serious injuries were reported, but the incident added unexpected drama to the event’s buildup.

    Ironically, the altercation came ahead of a preliminary card welterweight bout, not the main event. The card itself is set to take place at ING Arena in Brussels, with Benson Henderson headlining against Patrick Habirora.

    After Friday’s explosive scenes, all eyes will now be on Abaev and Poclit to see if they carry that same intensity into the cage when they officially meet on Saturday night.

  • Benson Henderson’s Return To MMA Came Down To One Persistent Text Message

    Benson Henderson’s Return To MMA Came Down To One Persistent Text Message

    Benson Henderson says PFL matchmaker Mike Kogan kept needling him about what people were saying online until he finally agreed to come out of retirement for a fight against Patrick Habirora at PFL Brussels on Saturday.

    Henderson retired from MMA in 2023 but remained active in boxing, karate combat, and freestyle wrestling. Speaking to MMA Fighting, he explained exactly how the comeback came together.

    “My man Mike Kogan, the head matchmaker for PFL, great guy, I love him, he’s always done me right. But he texted me, he needled me a couple of times like ‘oh man, Henderson, guys online are talking smack, saying this, saying that’ and I’m like people can say whatever, it’s cool, no big deal. They’re saying you don’t have it anymore. I told him, I don’t care. People have been after me my whole career. I’ve done all right. People are allowed to have their opinion. But he kept needling me a couple more times and then he texted me two days later and said ‘hey, I’ve got a matchup for you, Patrick Habirora, why don’t you remind the world who you are, what you did and what you can do. You know what? Sounds good, Kogan. Let’s remind the world who I am and what I’ve done and how I do it.”

    Henderson, 42, said he never truly stepped away from training at The MMA Lab in Arizona, returning to the gym the week after retiring.

    “Since the day I retired, I was back in the gym the next week, on the mats training again. Our whole thing at The MMA Lab is being the hardest working gym in the world. We fight on Saturdays and back in the gym on Monday working to get better, win or lose, it doesn’t matter. I never stopped. I never stopped training.”

    Henderson said he is signed to a three-fight deal with PFL but is taking things one fight at a time.

    “My mindset after I beat Patrick, after the referee pulls me off of him, my mindset is more along the lines of whatever comes. I’m not itching to fight this guy or that guy. I’m not looking to get another belt around my waist. I’ll take it a fight at a time. I like to compete. I will compete until my body won’t allow me anymore.”

  • Arman Tsarukyan Puts Benson Henderson Out Cold In Grappling Match At ACBJJ 18

    Arman Tsarukyan Puts Benson Henderson Out Cold In Grappling Match At ACBJJ 18

    Arman Tsarukyan is finding plenty of success outside of the UFC Octagon.

    On Friday night, Tsarukyan stepped onto the mats for his third grappling bout of the year, competing in the main event of Absolute Championship Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (ACBJJ) 18 inside the Dynamo Volleyball Arena in Moscow, Russia, where he faced former UFC lightweight king Benson Henderson.

    “Ahalkalakets” went straight to work looking for chokes against Henderson, who managed to hold them off until the closing moments. But persistence paid off, the 28-year-old Armenian locked in a sharp arm-triangle choke, slid to the side, and cranked it tighter with every second.

    The move was executed with precision, and before long, “Smooth” had gone limp. The referee stepped in after checking his arm, while a visibly dazed Henderson was helped back to his feet by Tsarukyan.

    Tsarukyan has continued his grappling streak this year, first securing a unanimous decision victory over Makkasharip Zaynukov at Karate Combat 54 in early May, followed by a slick submission win against Patricky Pitbull at ADXC 10 later that same month.

    Image: @arm_011/Instagram

    When Was Arman Tsarukyan’s Last UFC Fight?

    Arman Tsarukyan last stepped into the Octagon at UFC 300 in April 2024, where he earned a hard-fought split decision victory over former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

    That victory earned “Ahalkalakets” his first UFC 155-pound title shot against then-champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January. Unfortunately, a back injury forced Tsarukyan to withdraw from the fight during fight week.

    Tsarukyan is riding a four-fight winning streak, with his last defeat coming in June 2022 when he fell via unanimous decision to Mateusz Gamrot at UFC Vegas 57. He holds a 9-2 record in the UFC, highlighted by knockout victories over Beneil Dariush and Joel Álvarez.

    Arman Tsarukyan
    Image: @arm_011/Instagram
  • Former UFC Champion Benson Henderson Set For Misfits Boxing Debut

    Former UFC Champion Benson Henderson Set For Misfits Boxing Debut

    The next step in Benson Henderson’s career post-mixed martial arts is set, as the former UFC champion has been booked for his boxing debut.

    Henderson held the lightweight title on MMA’s biggest stage between 2012 and 2013. He sits alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and BJ Penn as one of four record holders for the most consecutive defenses in the division.

    After his UFC stint came to an end, “Smooth” continued under the Bellator banner, challenging for gold unsuccessfully on three occasions. The most recent came in defeat against Usman Nurmagomedov in March 2023, marking his final outing in the cage.

    Like many, Henderson’s MMA retirement hasn’t completely brought his combat sports story to an end. Last December, the 40-year-old debuted in the Karate Combat Pit, outpointing his fellow former UFC champ Anthony Pettis.

    And Henderson is now set to dip his toes into yet another sport…

    Henderson Meets Fellow UFC Vet Chris Avila In Misfits Tournament

    It was announced this week that Henderson will feature on the latest card for Misfits Boxing, a crossover boxing promotion founded by English YouTube star and celebrity pugilist KSI.

    To date, the likes of Logan Paul, Dillon Danis, Tommy Fury, Paige VanZant, Le’Veon Bell, and Anthony Taylor are among those who have competed at the events.

    Misfits Boxing 18, set for the Vertu Motors Arena in Newcastle, England on September 14, will see Henderson added to that list. He’s slated to do battle with another ex-UFC and Bellator fighter, Nate Diaz protégé Chris Avila.

    The pair’s contest will serve as one of two light heavyweight semifinals making up a one-night tournament. In the other, Idris Virgo is set to throw down with Fes Batista, with the two winners meeting later on to crown the champion.

    The main event of the influencer card will see Elle Brooke defend her MFB middleweight title against BKFC veteran Jenny Savage. The Brit was originally expected to run it back with VanZant following their draw earlier this year, but that hasn’t come to fruition.

  • Archives: Cowboy Enjoys ‘Topless Festivities’ at Daytona 500 (2017)

    The following article was published on this day five years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.

    On This Day Five Years Ago…

    [ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 27, 2017, 11:56 AM]

    “Cowboy” is currently enjoying a break from the octagon following his second round, TKO loss to Jorge Masvidal at UFC on Fox: Shevchenko vs. Peña in January.

    Cerrone was enjoying a four-fight win streak at welterweight, which included three “Performance of the Night” awards prior to Masvidal derailing his success following his jump from lightweight.

    “Cowboy” is just as renowned for his activity inside the cage as he is for his fighting skills. For example, the fan-favorite fought and beat Benson Henderson on the Conor McGregor v Denis Siver card just 15 days following his defeat over Miles Jury at UFC 182, and fans are keen to see the former WEC title challenger take a break to readjust himself prior to a return to the octagon.

    Those calls appear to have been heeded by “Cowboy”, as he recently spoke with TMZ Sports to discuss his downtime at Daytona 500. Cerrone discusses why the UFC is scarier than NASCAR and gives his insight into “topless festivities” and “crazy redneck chicks lying around naked”.

    There is winding down, and then there is winding down “Cowboy” style…

    You can watch the full clip above.