Benson Henderson to Test Free Agent Market; Will He Leave the UFC?

Benson Henderson completed the last fight on his eight-bout UFC contract when he defeated Jorge Masvidal at UFC Fight Night 79 on Saturday in Seoul, South Korea. In his post-fight actions in the Octagon, he alluded to the idea that he might be ready to step out and test the free agent market.

Well, it wasn’t just an allusion.

In between comments, Henderson took off his gloves and set them down on the canvas; generally an indication that a fighter is done competing. But after saying into the camera, “Was that impressive enough for you?” he picked up his gloves and walked out of the Octagon.

RELATED > UFC Fight Night 79 Results: Benson Henderson Squeaks Past Jorge Masvidal

He later confirmed to MMAJunkie.com that there was a reason for night signing a new UFC contract prior to the Masvidal bout, he intends to swim with the sharks in the free agent waters.

“When I retire, it will be retiring in the UFC, I know that for sure,” he said. “But I’m going to test the market, yes.”

Henderson didn’t exactly state that he would be fighting elsewhere once contract negotiations play out, but he has certainly blown the door wide open for such a possiblity.

“I’m not trying to send any message of any type, but if it plays out a certain way, I want to have some pretty good memories to go out on,” he said.

Several former UFC fighters have recently signed with Bellator, so it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Henderson were to follow suit. Phil Davis, Josh Thomson, and Josh Koscheck are all currently flying the Bellator, but another intriguing possibility could be Asian fight promotion ONE Championship (formerly ONE FC).

Free agent! The ONLY way fighters will make real money again in this sport. Fight your contracts out. Smart move @BensonHenderson

— Josh Koscheck (@JoshKoscheck) November 28, 2015

A match-up with current ONE welterweight champion Ben Askren would be a solid bout for both men, and continuing to fight in Asia is certainly something that Henderson might enjoy. For his part, it certainly sounds as if Askren is lobbying for his employer to make the move. 

Already been done https://t.co/n0pJcTDCNk — Ben Askren (@Benaskren) November 28, 2015

For now, however, Henderson’s next move remains in limbo, as he just finished his contract, and the UFC typically has a 90-day exclusive negotiating window with most of its fighters.