Bellator champ Michael Chandler on Benson Henderson: 'He looks afraid to pull the trigger'

Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler was two months into his professional career when Benson Henderson won his first title, an interim lightweight belt in the now-defunct WEC organization.

Three years later, in 2012, he was in his first reign as Bellator’s lightweight champion and watched Henderson win the UFC belt with a controversial decision over Frankie Edgar. Naturally, fantasy matchmakers paired them.

“A lot of people were talking about me and him fighting,” Chandler told MMAjunkie Radio. “He was ranked No. 1 in the world; I was ranked top three, top five in the world. Everybody wanted that matchup.”

But alas, cross-promotional fights were – and are – a nonstarter. As long as Henderson (24-6 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) was signed to the UFC, Chandler would never get the chance to prove himself a better fighter. Even after Henderson (15-3 MMA, 12-3 BMMA) ceded the belt to now-former champ Anthony Pettis in 2013, he continued to fight in the octagon.

It wasn’t until earlier this year that Henderson opted out of a UFC renewal offer and defected to the Viacom-owned promotion, where Chandler has made his name.

Now in his second stint as champ, Chandler, the No. 15 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA lightweight rankings, finally gets a crack at his former UFC counterpart.

The only difference he sees now is, he’s not facing the same guy.

“Quite frankly, it’s happening at the right time for me and the wrong time for him,” said Chandler, who headlines Saturday’s Bellator 165 opposite Henderson at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card airs on Spike after prelims on MMAjunkie.

It’s not that Chandler thinks that Henderson is a bad fighter. Rather, he sees a downtrend in the skills that made the former champ one of the great lightweights.

There is some evidence to back Chandler’s claim. Henderson made his Bellator debut in April as a welterweight, where he moved following a rocky stint at lightweight, and lost a high-profile decision to now-former champ Andrey Koreshkov. Although he earned an injury TKO win over former featherweight champ Patricio Freire, Chandler isn’t convinced there’s been much of a rebound.

“To me, Benson’s looking a little bit weathered these days,” he said. “His striking is pedestrian. He’s not a go-getter any more.”

Usually, Chandler doesn’t disparage opponents. He’s loathe to generate negative press. But he can’t help but notice what he sees as a lack of drive from Henderson, who’s said he could retire within the next year.

“He used to be in big-time exciting fights, put hands on people,” Chandler said. “He just looks timid; he looks like he’s afraid to pull the trigger, and I’m the kind of guy that’s got my foot on the gas at all times in a fight. I’m excited to go out there and finish him.”

When the two meet Saturday, Chandler thinks the difference between them will make itself known, and he’ll cross a coveted name off his victory wish list.

For more on Bellator 165, check out the MMA Rumors section of MMAjunkie.

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