‘You’re truly one of the best of all time’: Fighters react to Benson Hendson’s retirement at Bellator 292

Benson Henderson’s legacy won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

The Bellator star and former UFC lightweight champion announced his retirement Friday evening in San Jose, Calif., following a first-round submission loss to Usman Nurmagomedov in the Bellator 292 main event. Immediately after his post-fight interview, Henderson laid his gloves down in the cage, signalling the end of a pro career that began back in 2006.

Henderson retires with a record of 30-12, with wins over a number of notable names, including Frankie Edgar, Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, Gilbert Melendez, Donald Cerrone, Clay Guida, Josh Thomson, Roger Huerta, and Patricio Pitbull. At his peak, Henderson was the best in the world at 155 pounds, and held UFC gold in that division from February 2012 to August 2013.

His tremendous accolades have made him widely respected by his peers, several of whom took to social media to pay tribute to “Smooth,” including past opponent and current UFC star Michael Chandler, who called Henderson “one of the best of all time.”

See more social media reactions to Henderson’s retirement below.