Benson Henderson is set to compete in the PFL smart cage next month, a development that amuses his former teammate. The ex-WEC and UFC lightweight champion is scheduled to face Patrick Habirora on May 23, 2026, at the ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium, as part of a Professional Fighters League event.
James Nakashima, a former ONE Championship fighter and recent Unified MMA lightweight belt winner, shared his thoughts on Henderson’s upcoming bout. When asked about Henderson fighting an undefeated prospect like Habirora, Nakashima stated:
“No, I don’t; I rarely get on social media, so I wasn’t aware. Benson and I don’t stay in touch. I respect Benson, but we were simply training partners. Our connection didn’t extend beyond that. I only keep in contact with a few people from The MMA Lab. But Benson… well, fighters never truly retire. I guess that’s the takeaway, and it’s amusing.”
Nakashima elaborated on the notion that fighters struggle to hang up their gloves, observing:
“I don’t know. I just feel like fighters never retire. As long as they’re still getting calls and Benson is training. Benson trains as hard as anyone; he can push himself as deep as anyone in a workout. Benson is a dog. So, it’s good to hear he’s fighting again. Like I said, it’s funny because I always find it amusing when fighters announce their retirement, and then, well, they always come back.”
