Smooth as Always: An Interview with WEC Lightweight Champ Ben Henderson

Newly crowned WEC lightweight champion Ben Henderson is just a baby in mixed martial arts. In fact, this past November marked his third anniversary as a professional fighter.

After watching him compete, you’d think you were watching a seasoned pro.

He wasn’t given the nickname of Smooth for no reason; he combines speed, strength, and some amazing intestinal fortitude with a solid wrestling background that has complemented his ever growing boxing and jiu-jitsu skills.

Some people may question how Henderson is able to separate the intelligent, God-fearing, family man from the intense, focused individual who makes his living by hurting other people.

After speaking to him yesterday, it was pretty clear how he can turn that switch on and off so easily.

Bryan Levick: Congratulations on unifying the WEC lightweight championship. How are you feeling now that you have had some time to let it all soak in?

Ben Henderson: Thank you I appreciate it. I am feeling good, unlike my last fight with Cerrone I didn’t take too much damage. I am feeling 100 percent, praise the Lord. I am very happy, very ecstatic, but at the same time I know I have to work that much harder. I am the guy with the bulls-eye on his back now.

Bryan Levick: Who are some of the guys in the WEC that you consider to be the biggest threat to your title?

Ben Henderson: There’s so many guys, the top four guys I have beaten along the way. You have Donald Cerrone, Shane Roller, Anthony Njokuani, who has won three knockout of the night awards in a row, and of course Jamie Varner.

These guys are going to work that much harder than the first time we fought and that means I have to outwork them once again. They are gonna bring it each and every time they fight.

Bryan Levick: How often would like to fight?

Ben Henderson: To be honest I don’t mind taking some time in between fights because I am pretty new to the sport and I can use that time to work on all areas of my game. I know I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.

It’s going to take a lot of hard work and being only 26 I have all the time in the world. Every time I step into the cage I want to be better than I was the time before.

Bryan Levick: Has the WEC given you any idea of whether you will have a rematch with Cerrone or if they will set him up to fight Varner again with the winner getting another shot at you?

Ben Henderson: To be honest with you I have no idea. You’ll probably find out before I do! I am not one who likes to speculate but from what I hear, Varner and Cerrone will fight first and finish their business. The two of them have a lot of animosity towards each other and I think the WEC would like to settle that first.

A lot of fans want to see that fight happen, I know for myself, me being a fan, I want to see that fight happen as well. Those two guys went to war and they deserve an opportunity to settle their differences.

Bryan Levick: Varner catches a lot of flak because he comes off cocky but anytime I have talked to him he’s been nothing but respectful and courteous. How do you feel about him as a fighter and a person?

Ben Henderson: I helped him get ready for his fight with Marcus Hicks. I thought I did a pretty good job of helping him as he looked really good in that fight. He’s a good guy, he has a good heart and a good head on his shoulders. He’s a world class champion who has a habit of saying the wrong things at the wrong time.

Of course he’s going to be a little cocky and arrogant, we are fighters and we all are to a certain degree. I almost feel bad for him, I have never had any problems with him, he’s always been a super nice guy to me.

He’s an emotional guy but then again, most fighters are, we’re emotional people. We fight from our heart and from our souls; when things don’t go our way we can sometimes say the wrong things.

Bryan Levick: If you had to choose between Varner and Cerrone, who would you say gave you the tougher fight?

Ben Henderson: They are both very tough in their own way. I couldn’t say that neither man isn’t a tough fighter. I’m just glad I ended up winning both contests. They are both just very different.

Bryan Levick: Varner mentioned to me during our interview last week that a lot of the fighters in the WEC feel as though the organization puts way too much behind Urijah Faber and not enough towards the other guys. Would you agree or disagree with him?

Ben Henderson: I don’t agree with that at all, the men running the WEC are smart business people who have a certain strategy in place. Faber is the man and maybe he gets a lot of publicity but I don’t think it’s at the expense of the other fighters.

Bryan Levick: Can you tell me a little about the MMA Lab?

Ben Henderson: The MMA Lab is my gym here in Glendale, Arizona. It’s filled with a bunch of great guys, it’s not a place that’s filled with a bunch of tough guys. We don’t want a bunch of Billy Bad-Asses walking around without their shirts on!

We’re just starting out as we have been around for about three years now. We have a lot of young up and coming fighters. We want guys who are going to grow with the gym, we don’t want anyone who is looking to jump from one gym to the next. We want guys who are willing to help one another.

Bryan Levick: Explain to me what it was like training alongside B.J. Penn.

Ben Henderson: I went down to Costa Mesa and helped B.J. prepare for his fight with Diego Sanchez. He had asked me if I was interested in coming down and helping him out. I was like are you serious?!! I told him I would love to and I’d stay until they had to kick me out!

He beat up on me a bit but I had such a great time. I got to work with the man I consider to be the best pound for pound fighter in the world and at the very least, the best 155 lb. fighter in the UFC.

What impressed me most was how nice he was. I got to train with Kenny Florian as well before his bout with Clay Guida. They are both just class acts. Those are the type of fighters I want to be around. If you’re a butthead, then there’s no need for us to interact.

Both B.J. and Kenny are just great people, I am so amazed at the level of success they have had and how grounded they are. They opened their homes to me and treated me as an equal. That to me is more important than just being a good fighter.

Bryan Levick: How do you feel you would stack up against the lightweights of the UFC?

Ben Henderson: Like I said earlier, fighters are confident guys; if you are going to compete you most likely have a lot of confidence in your ability. Confidence is something I have never lacked, I try not to come across as too confident or cocky but I believe in my abilities. I feel like I could match up well with any UFC fighter. I’d be very excited if given the chance to prove it.

Bryan Levick: Do you feel the WEC is ready for pay-per-view?

Ben Henderson: I think that would be awesome, it would be great for the fighters. Hopefully it would allow us to get a little more recognition. The UFC is the top dog and that’s fine. A WEC PPV would help put us on the map a little more.

It would give our fighters a chance to show the world that we aren’t B-level fighters or guys who can’t cut it in the UFC. I’d be stoked if I was lucky enough or blessed enough to be part of that card.

Bryan Levick: I would like to thank you for your time. Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Ben Henderson: Oh man get ready for this!!! There are so many people that I want to thank after a fight that I forget because I am caught up in the heat of the moment. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ. He has blessed me my entire life. I give him praise all the time and not just after winning a world championship fight.

I’d like to thank the people at MTX Audio; without them I couldn’t do what I am doing. I couldn’t train full time, I wouldn’t be anywhere near the level that I am at now.

I have to thank Jesse Stamm & his wife. All the guys at my gym: Jason Beck, John Crouch and all my training partners.

I have to thank my brother, my mom. It takes a village to make a fighter, you don’t realize how much behind the scenes work there is. They do the things that I am so ill-equipped to take care of. My fiance Katherine, I love her to death. She puts up with a lot from me. The list could go on and on.