Glendale MMA Champion Ben Henderson Wants More (By AZRepublic.com)

It's been a little nearly two week since Glendale mixed martial arts fighter Ben Henderson won the World Extreme Cagefighting lightweight championship belt, beating then champ Jamie Varner of Phoenix via a third-round submission. Henderson spent at least 12 grueling weeks training for that Jan. 10 fight in Sacramento, which Varner was winning until Henderson applied a quick, tight guillotine choke (yes, it's as great as it sounds) that ended the bout.

It's common for fighters to take at least two weeks off after a bout, but yet there was Henderson, the 26-year-old newly crowned champ, already back to training at his gym, the MMA Lab in Glendale.

"I got a bullseye on my back right now," Henderson said. "I love that. I relish that, having guys gunning for me now in the WEC.

"Their hunger drives me. And I have that hunger to stay on top. It's harder to stay on top than to get on top."

You can argue WEC officials hopes he stays on top as well. Despite being the current undisputed lightweight champion, Henderson, now 11-1 with a 10-fight win streak that includes four straight in the WEC, is still a rising star in MMA.

Henderson has gained fans after every bout because of his knack for winning as an underdog, his pain tolerance and his ability to escape tight submissions. Henderson said he owes much of his flexibility to Bikram Yoga, a yoga style performed in room temperatures of up to 105 degrees.

Henderson also resonates with fans and can pull a different fan base. Like many MMA fighters, he's college educated (he has a degree from Dana College, double-majoring in criminal justice and sociology) but he's also an openly devout Christian (his entrance songs are Christian hip hop), wears not-so-tough glasses outside the cage, and a self-admitted mama's boy.

And many realize Henderson may be nowhere near his potential.

"I don't even think I've reached my peak," Henderson said. "I have a long way to go. I've only been fighting for three years. (Cerrone) has been kickboxing for 7-8 years. Varner's been boxing since he was 14. I have a long way to go. I'm nowhere near my peak."

by Odeen Domingo - Jan. 22, 2010 08:08 PM
The Arizona Republic