Ex-champion Benson Henderson takes free-agent exit from UFC to join Bellator

Not everyone can be Conor McGregor, so when former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Benson Henderson weighed where he stood in the organization as free agency struck, he departed for Bellator MMA.

“Not being brash and loud and boisterous and going to that level -- I wouldn’t say that it hurts me, exactly, but perhaps I don’t have the [pay-per-view] buy level that other fighters have,” Henderson told The Times recently. “But you know what? I’m OK with that. I don’t want to sell my soul for a few extra buys.”

“I don’t want to be fake. If you are a loud, talkative and brash person, then go ahead and do that ... if you are a quiet, reserved person, then go ahead and do that. I’m not going to change who I am for a few extra buys.”

Henderson, also a former World Extreme Cagefighting champion, makes his Bellator MMA debut against current welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov on April 22 at Bellator 153. Spike TV will televise the bout from Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

Henderson (23-5) became the highest profile fighter thus far to leave UFC, after making 14 appearances inside the octagon. He signed a six-fight deal in February.

Henderson competed at both lightweight and welterweight in UFC and hopes to duplicate that in Bellator, along with some future kick-boxing bouts.

Bellator Kickboxing was launched in February and will stage its first card this month in Italy.

The financial incentive to once again be able to secure individual sponsorship deals was also a major factor in Henderson’s decision to defect, he said, after UFC signed a six-year Reebok apparel deal in 2014 to outfit fighters and force out sponsored fight clothing.

“I am not going to lie. The Reebok deal had a huge impact on my decision to move over to Bellator,” Henderson said. “The ability to once again make some good, legitimate sponsorship money like I was making before the Reebok deal and bringing that back to the table was absolutely a factor.”

UFC fighters are compensated in the Reebok deal, but there has been disillusionment for some, which has had the ripple effect on contract negotiations and caused fighters to test the market.

Henderson is the biggest name to leave UFC, while other fighters, such as undefeated bantamweight star Aljamain Sterling and former Strikeforce heavyweight champion Alistair Overeem completed their UFC contracts and eventually re-signed with the organization after contemplating other offers.

Former welterweight title challenger Rory McDonald has already stated that his next fight would be his last on his current UFC contract and that he would sign with the organization that offers him the highest compensation.

Henderson has faced some of the UFC’s biggest stars, including Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, Anthony Pettis, Donald Cerrone and current UFC lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjo, and would have conceivably been among the current fighters pursuing a big-money fight with the popular, charismatic featherweight champion McGregor.

Henderson has always demonstrated a quiet demeanor outside the cage and McGregor’s July 9 foe, Diaz, has said that McGregor gets preferential treatment from the UFC because of his bold behavior.

Henderson realizes it’s not in his nature to conduct himself in that manner and said he doesn’t feel the need to act like someone he’s not for the sake of being more marketable.

“I have zero regrets,” Henderson said. “A lot of guys want to fight him and there’s a reason why. It’s fine. It is what it is. We’ll see how it all plays out in the record books five to 10 years from now with the timing of my decision, but no, I don’t have any regrets leaving for Bellator.”