After defeating Jorge Masvidal late last month at UFC Fight Night 79, Benson Henderson looked into the camera and asked, “Was it impressive enough to warrant facing off with you?”
On Monday, he clarified just to whom that message was directed: Georges St-Pierre.
“I heard there were rumors about Georges St-Pierre coming back and how the guy he faces off against, how they have to have impressive performances,” Henderson said on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani. “I was trying to have an impressive enough performance to warrant facing off against Georges St-Pierre.
“I have always wanted to prove myself as the best fighter on the planet. No ifs, ands or buts about it. I know I have a long ways to go. I know I have to work my butt off. I know I have a ways to go. But I want to prove, to back that up so to speak, [it] by squaring up with perhaps the greatest welterweight in UFC history, Georges St-Pierre.”
That fight coming together for the former UFC Lightweight Champion is dependent on both re-signing with the UFC, and St-Pierre coming back, neither of which are guaranteed to happen.
Penick’s Analysis: A Henderson-St-Pierre fight could be fantastic if GSP actually comes back and Henderson re-signs. St-Pierre may also return right to a title fight if he does come back, but if that’s not what happens, Henderson would make for a very interesting opponent as well. They are stylistically similar in many respects, and as former champions of two different divisions it’s the type of fight people have thought about in the past. Henderson’s not been the most impressive in his victories of late, but he’s an elite fighter in the two weight classes in which he’s chosen to compete, and he could definitely be an interesting name for St-Pierre. We still don’t know if GSP is going to come back in the first place, but there are absolutely worse fights to make if that does happen.
[Ben Henderson art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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