Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Benson Henderson attempted to cross promotions and win Bellator gold last night (Fri., April 22, 2016) at Bellator 153 inside of the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
His opponent, current Bellator Welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov, is one of the more underrated 170-pound fighters in the sport today, and his lone loss coming into tonight came against undefeated Ben Askren back at Bellator 97. This was also only the second time in Henderson's career that he has fought above Lightweight.
Unfortunately for "Smooth," the Russian champion proved the much better fighter at Bellator 153. Having fought long on the end of a four inch height advantage, which prohibited Henderson in escaping dangerous exchanges inside, Koreshkov picked the UFC vet apart for the majority of five rounds with explosive flying knees, robotic technicality, and powerful body shots.
The full video highlights showcasing all of last night's action can be seen above.
It was easily the most impressive performance of Koreshkov's budding career, and one that should shed light on the fact that Bellator does have some premier fighters under its control.
If Henderson continues to struggle at a bigger weight, guys like Michael Chandler await him in the Lightweight division.
For more Bellator 153 results and recap click here.