At the 3Arena in Dublin, where Benson Henderson will fight, his wife Maria Magana may once again be seen cheering for him outside the cage. The lightweight main event pits him against Peter Queally.
Henderson, like Smooth, is well-known for being a former UFC lightweight champion. He is facing Queally, who is 2-2 in his professional career, in his fifth bout.
His combat styles include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Taekwondo, and he fights at the lightweight and welterweight levels. He trains with extreme seriousness and is a member of team MMA Lab. We may also see him and his partner, who are rumored to be training together.
One of Forner’s other belts is a black belt in Taekwondo, and he also holds a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Besides, he has competed for his country on a global stage. A number of men’s grappling medals were awarded to him throughout the competition.
Benson, the Fighter: A Brief Overview
| Name | Benson Henderson |
| Date Of Birth | 16 November 1983 |
| Nick Name | Smooth |
| Religion | Christian |
| Education | Decatur High School, Dana College |
| Father Name | Song Henderson |
| Mother Name | Kim Sung-hwa |
| Sibling | Julius Henderson |
| Partner/Wife | Maria Magana Henderson |
| Kids | Koah Abram, Kyong, Kub, Knightley |
| Net Worth | $2 million |
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Benson Henderson’s wife is Maria Magana
The MMA fighter Benson’s wife is Maria Henderson Magna. In 2014, they said “I do,” and have been living together ever since. In addition to being the spouse of a former UFC lightweight champion, Mrs. Henderson is also a professional athlete.
Her professional debut was on July 9, 2022, at the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix, with the Legacy Fighting Alliance (LFA). She did a fantastic job, and she won the bout in the first round by locking in a submission on her opponent, Melanie McIntyre.
Melanie McIntyre tapped out when Maria put a triangle choke on her from behind in just 1 minute and 42 seconds of the first round.
It was her first professional fight after three previous battles as an amateur. She also explained why now was an excellent moment to compete at the highest level. The reporters were informed that her training had been very comparable to that of the pro-fight.
But as soon as the bell rang, Benson stepped into the ring to congratulate his wife and give her a bear hug.
However, they can be seen together on occasion by the cage, rooting each other on. Given that they share a career, they should also be working out together.
Benson and Maria are parents to a Family
Benson, a former lightweight champion, and his longtime partner Maria have four children together. They have four children: sons Kyong, Kub, and Koah, and daughter Knightley. Maria’s verified Instagram account is primarily filled with pictures of their gorgeous children.
She has over 6.5k followers on social media and her contact information is available in her bio. That’s where you can find her if you want to sponsor her.
Henderson’s business and personal life are on display if we scroll down his Instagram. However, unlike his wife, he is likely to share footage from his workouts and matches.
He also has more followers than his companion, 143k, but has made fewer posts. He has a picture of his wife and three children on his profile.
The Parents of Henderson Are Named Song and Kim Sung-Hwa
Henderson was born on November 16, 1983, to his parents in Colorado Springs. He is the product of a mixed-race parentage. His father, Kim Sung-Hwa, is of African descent, while his mother, Song, is of Korean descent.
Born and raised in Federal Way, Washington. At the age of nine, his mother signed him up for Tae Kwon Do classes. Due to its status as a classical Korean martial art, she demanded that I study it.
The professional athlete said his mom encouraged him to study the native culture. This allowed him to join his sister at the top of his sport’s belt rankings.
Benson’s parents also gave birth to his older brother, Julius, in Korea. The Tae Kwon Do class was also frequented by two siblings. However, the media has revealed very little about him.
Between the years 1998 and 2001, he was a student at Decatur High School. Since he was already physically fit, he joined the school’s wrestling team and competed. Dana College in Nebraska, from which he graduated in 2006.
The Welterweight studied criminal law and sociology for his undergraduate degrees. During his time at university, he wrestled and was twice recognized as an NAIA All-American.
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Fighter Benson’s 2022 Net Worth in the Lightweight Division
An astounding $2 million is what Benson, a lightweight category competitor in 2022, is said to be worth, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
He started training in Tae Kwon Do at the age of nine and competed in sports at a young age. In 2006, he made his professional debut and went on to defeat Dan Gregary in his maiden match.
According to his Wikipedia page, he has fought in 40 MMA bouts, winning 29 of them and losing 11. Both of his victories and his only loss were decided by a unanimous scorecard.
In his third professional bout, against Rocky Johnson, he suffered his first defeat. He was defeated via technical submission, but that didn’t deter him; instead, it gave him even more drive, and he won four matches in a row.
Profession in the WEC
As his career progressed, he began competing in World Extreme Cagefighting. He competed for the lightweight title in the World Extreme Cagefighting organization and then moved on to the Interim and Undisputed league.
In 2009, following a fight that he won against Donal Cerrone, he received an extra $20,000 in compensation. Afterward, Sherdog named it the Fight of the Year in mixed martial arts.
Combatant’s Experience in the UFC
When WEC and the UFC combined, all of the fighters were brought over to the new company. As a result, Henderson entered the UFC for the first time on April 30, 2011. He beat Mark Bocek in the first matchup.
After defeating Clay Guida in a fight on November 12, 2011, he became the clear frontrunner for the belt. He competed as a lightweight back then.
Furthermore, Henderson and his opponent got the award of “Fight of the Night” since their three rounds of combat were nonstop action.
In 2012, on February 26th, Frankie Edgar, who was the UFC lightweight champion at the time, looked as cool as a cucumber. Finally, there was a winner that every judge agreed on. In the rematch with Edgar, he once again triumphed and took home the crown.
His final bout of 2012 was against Nate Diaz, which he fought later. The next time he faced Gilbert Melendez was on April 20, 2013, when he once again dominated and won. However, he suffered a second loss of his title against Anthony Pettis on August 31 of that same year. The next scheduled contest was against T.J. Grant.
After suffering his first defeat against Eddie Alvarez in 2015, he made the move down to Welterweight. That year, though, he stated he will be competing in Bellator MMA. He made his debut against Andrey Koreshkov, and ultimately lost by unanimous decision.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion Bellator
He’s fought in a few bouts since then, and tonight’s fight versus Queally is sure to bring him even more cash. In November of 2018, Henderson committed to the company with a lengthy contract.
On March 23, 2022, reports again broke that Benson had signed a multi-fight contract with the company. Everyone is very pumped up for the game.
The title is UFC Lightweight Champion
At UFC 144, which took place on February 26, 2012, Henderson fought Frankie Edgar. Henderson earned the new title of UFC Lightweight Champion with a victory against Edgar that resulted in a unanimous decision. Due to their outstanding performances, both competitors were awarded “Fight of the Night” accolades.
On August 11, 2012, at UFC 150, there was a rematch between Edgar and Conor McGregor. Henderson once again prevailed over Edgar, this time earning victory by way of a split decision in a fight that was quite competitive.
At UFC on Fox 5, which took place on December 8, 2012, Henderson competed against Nate Diaz.
Henderson won by unanimous decision after punishing Diaz with kicks, better wrestling, and ground and pound. Henderson knocked Diaz down twice with punches and was able to take Diaz’s back on multiple occasions to earn the victory.
On April 20, 2013, at UFC on Fox 7, Henderson competed against Gilbert Melendez, who was the reigning Strikeforce Lightweight Champion but was making his official debut. Henderson was victorious in the bout thanks to a controversial split decision. As a result of Henderson’s three consecutive victories to defend his title, BJ Penn is now tied with him for the most amount of title defenses achieved by a lightweight.