Former Dana Wrestler Featured in World Herald

This comes from the Omaha World Herald. It was written and edited by Kenton Krueger, with UFC information courtesy. Krueger writes a column for the Omaha World Herald called Krueger’s Submission: Your home for Mixed Martial Arts. The link for article is listed below.

Meet “Smooth” Benson Henderson

Age: 25

Weight class: 155

Record: 9-1-0, including 2-0 in World Extreme Cagefighting.

Hometown: Federal Way, Wash.

College: Dana College, Blair, Neb.

Fights out of: MMA Lab in Glendale, Ariz.

Henderson is off to a great start in the WEC. He is 2-0 after defeating Anthony Njokuani in January at WEC 38, and Shane Roller at WEC 40 in early April. The Victory Fighting Championship veteran and two-time NAIA All-America wrestler at Dana College in Blair, Neb., is currently on an eight-fight winning streak dating to February 2007.

Q: Thanks for your time. First off, do you prefer Benson or Ben?

A: Benson is fine.

Q: How are things going?

A: Everything is pretty good.

Q: You defeated Shane Roller at WEC 40 on April 5. Do you know when you will fight next, or is that still in the works?

A: I don’t know when it is I fight again.

Q: How did you get into MMA and competitive fighting?

A: I got into MMA after I graduated from Dana, kind of on accident, on a bet from my friends.

Q: Who was your first fight, and what was the result?

A: I fought Corey Clinebell and I won by TKO due to strikes.

Q: What was your college wrestling career like? You were a two-time All-American, correct?

A: My college career was really tough the first couple of years, but thanks to my great coach, Steve Costanzo, I improved a lot my last few years. I was a two-time All-American.

Q: How did you like living in Blair?

A: I loved living in Blair. I had a great college experience.

Q: Are you still an assistant coach at Dana?

A: I’m just a full-time fighter now, living in Phoenix. I loved coaching, though, and miss all my boys back at Dana, but they’re all juniors and seniors now ready to get on with the rest of their own lives.

Q: You fought for the Victory Fighting Championship twice in 2007. That organization is shredding it right now. They are feeding UFC and WEC pretty regularly, and their shows are really put together well. Have you had the chance to get back for any of their shows since moving on?

A: I haven’t had a chance to get back to a Victory show.

Q: Looking back on that experience, can you talk about what events like Victory do for fighters and what those experiences did you for specifically?

A: Victory was a great experience for me.

Q: You are in an excellent division in WEC, with names like Donald Cerrone and Jamie Varner at the top. How far off the top of that list do you consider yourself?

A: I don’t really concern myself with who I’m fighting next or stuff like that. I just prepare myself and train as hard as I can.

Q: Speaking of great weight classes in the WEC, the 145 division is loaded, with Mike Brown and Urijah Faber clearly at the top, and guys like Jose Aldo and Leonard Garcia right there as well. Any interest, or would you even consider it a possibility to ever drop to 145 to go after guys like that?

A: I probably couldn’t make 145. 155 is my weight class.

Q: If you can point to one fight in your career where you learned something about yourself, good or bad, what fight would that be? Where was it? And what was it that you learned? How did that fight turn out?

A: My first fight on TV for Maximum Fighting Championships (in Canada) against Mike Maestas was a tough fight for me where I had to come back from some adversity and deal with the nerves of being on TV for the first time.

Q: What would you say is the strongest aspect of your game?

A: Wrestling is the strongest aspect of my game.

Q: When you are going into a fight, do you look at your opponent’s game, what he does well, where he may be weak, and gameplan around that? Or do you just worry about what you are doing, with the idea that if you prepare to the best of your abilities you will beat anyone?

A: I typically just worry about my game and what I need to do to get the win.

Q: How does this sound to you: World Extreme Cagefighting, live from Omaha Nebraska?

A: I love Omaha and all of Nebraska. It holds a special place in my heart because I really grew and matured into a man during my time in Blair. On top of that I have so many friends still in Nebraska, a lot of my best friends, actually, so I would love to return to fight there. I’m actually going back out there this summer to be in my buddy’s wedding.

Benson, I appreciate you taking the time. Good luck to you!

-Kenton Krueger