Korean American Seeks To Retain MMA Title

Being the world champion has not changed life for Benson Henderson. “Everything’s pretty much the same although I get spotted at the mall a little more,” said Henderson. The World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Lightweight (155 lb) champion Henderson makes his first title defense against Donald Cerrone on April 24^th in Sacramento, California.

 Henderson, who grew up in Tacoma, Washington, became the Lightweight champion for the WEC when he beat Jamie Varner on January 10, 2010.

So what does a world champion do after winning the title?  Henderson went to work. Not in the gym, but at his mother’s store. Henderson flew back to work at Peter’s Grocery, a small convenience store owned and run by his mother. He stepped in to give her mother some much needed time off. “I worked a few shifts.” Henderson put together a 60 hour work week including a couple 17 hour days stocking shelves and ringing up customers at the register. “It’s the least I can do,” downplaying his shifts.  Henderson attributes his work ethic to his mother, Song.  Henderson’s mother is Korean and his father is African American. His parents met when his father, who was in the Army at the time, was stationed in Korea. She divorced Henderson’s father and raised Henderson and his older brother by herself while working several jobs to provide for her boys. Proud of his Korean heritage, Henderson has tattoos in Korean on his right shoulder which means champion, his right rib cage which means strength and honor and his last name, Henderson, on his left arm.

Although most of his visit to the Northwest was dedicated to work, Henderson devoted time to visit the Space Needle and Pike Place Market with his mother and fiancée, Katherine. He met his fiancée in 2006 when he was asked by a friend if he could fly to Hawaii to help him prepare for wrestling camp in Hawaii. Without hesitation, Henderson got on a plane for the islands. While working out with his friend, he met his future wife. “She was a hula dancer,” Henderson recalls.  They plan to be married in August in Hawaii.

Henderson’s status in the mixed martial arts world is well-respected. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion BJ Penn asked Henderson if he would train with Penn in preparation for his title fight last December. When Penn, a fellow Korean American, came up to him and asked if he would like to train with him, Henderson replied that he’d “stay (and train with Penn) until they would have to kick him out.” Henderson admits that training with Penn was demanding but he learned a lot. “It was awesome,” Henderson said.  He was impressed with working with the UFC champ.  “The devil is in the details,” Henderson said of Penn’s work ethic, “Watching, doing what he does makes him the best on the planet.” 

A self-proclaimed “gym rat”, Henderson hangs around his training gym, the MMA Lab, in Glendale, Arizona. Even training for his first title defense, he teaches an occasional martial arts class at his gym.

Away from training, Henderson is an avid reader.  On his web site, he devotes a portion of his site to “Ben’s Book Club” – a collection of Henderson’s favorite reads. A science fiction fan, Henderson is fond of writer Ben Bova’s series of books. “I got into reading [Bova] after a visit to the library. I started reading [one of his books] and I didn’t want to put it down.” A devout Christian, Henderson is a fan of Christian fiction books written by John Ringo.

Henderson and Cerrone’s first fight was voted by mixed martial arts website Sherdog.com as the Fight of the Year 2009. Henderson expects his rematch to be “more of the same” from their November 2009 fight. “The media overanalyze it,” Henderson remarked of the hype before the fight, “We’re going to see who has improved (since the last fight.)” Henderson and Cerrone’s match will be featured as one of the main events of WEC’s first Pay Per View.  

For more information on Ben Henderson, visit his website www.smoothben.com and via twitter at twitter.com/SMOOTHone155. For more information on the Pay Per View event on April 24^th visit www.wec.tv

Originally published in the Northwest Asian Weekly.

Follow me on twitter @dilletaunt.

Photo courtesy of the WEC.