Tag: Maria Henderson

Bellator 293 salaries: Cat Zingano, Daniel James lead the pack with six-figure disclosed paydays

Check out the disclosed pay for all 30 fighters on Bellator 293, according to the California State Athletic Commission.

Thirty fighters competed Friday at Bellator 293 with [autotag]Cat Zingano[/autotag] and [autotag]Daniel James[/autotag] leading all disclosed payouts.

California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster released a full list of fighter payouts Friday to MMA Junkie. The amounts reflect the disclosed payouts only and do not include any off-contract bonuses, sponsor payments, or discretionary bonuses.

The main event and co-main event winners were the only two fighters to pocket six-figure disclosed paydays as a result of their performances Friday. Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Zingano (14-4 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) earned $100,000 flat for her unanimous decision win over [autotag]Leah McCourt[/autotag] (7-2 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) in the co-main event. Then, main event winner James (15-6-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) earned to $50,000 show and a $50,000 win bonus for his victory over [autotag]Marcelo Golm[/autotag] (10-3 MMA, 1-3 BMMA).

Scroll below to see what the 30 fighters on Bellator 293 were paid โ€“ disclosed amounts only.

Bellator 293 video: Mackenzie Stiller upsets Maria Henderson with one-way traffic

All eyes entered the Bellator 293 preliminary card opener on Maria Henderson, but they were on Mackenzie Stiller when the dust settled.

All eyes entered the Bellator 293 preliminary card opener on [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], but they were on [autotag]Mackenzie Stiller[/autotag] after the dust settled.

On Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif., Stiller (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) made her presence known when she spoiled the promotional pro debut of Henderson (1-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA), wife of former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag].

The fight was largely one-way traffic as Stiller utilized her wrestling and jiu-jitsu to control Henderson on the ground. After some heavy punches, Stiller worked for an armbar. Stiller rolled Henderson and eventually got the hyperextension โ€“ and a tap.

Stiller, 23, hadn’t competed as a professional before Friday. However, her submission prowess was already established as an amateur fighter. In four amateur appearances, Stiller finished every opponent by first-round submission.

Henderson, 30, competed for Bellator once as an amateur in October 2021. Following a 3-0 amateur career, she turned professional. After a submission win in LFA for her pro debut, Henderson returned to Bellator on a multifight deal, which she signed in January.

The full Bellator 293 results include:

  • Mackenzie Stiller def. Maria Henderson via submission (armbar) โ€“ Round 1, 3:17

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.

Now focused on MMA, Maria Henderson not pressured by husband Benson’s legacy: ‘We’re two different people’

Maria Henderson appreciates the fact that her husband is now focused on helping HER achieve her dreams in Bellator.

[autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag] is aware her family name carries big weight in the MMA world, but she’s not going to let that affect her.

The Bellator newcomer is kicking off her professional MMA career now that her husband, former UFC and WEC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], retired from fighting. Benson hung up his gloves earlier this month and made no secret that his focus is solely on Maria’s career.

Maria is thankful and motivated by his support.

“It’s great. Every wife wants a husband that supports her, and I don’t think a lot of them get that,” Maria told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s Bellator 293 media day. “I think that sometimes husbands are still in that old school role where they’re the bread maker. Even when he was the bread maker, he pushed me to be the best he can be. He pushed me to win jiu-jitsu competitions, the best mom I could be. It means the world to me. I think I have a fantastic husband. He’s always supported me.”

Maria (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) is set to maker her promotional debut as a professional this Friday at Bellator 293, which takes place at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie. She’ll take on Mackenzie Stiller in a three-round women’s strawweight bout.

Maria doesn’t feel any pressure ahead of her debut, being wife to one of the greatest lightweights in MMA history. Quite the opposite, she’s motivated as she knows very well what it takes to be champion.

“I think people expect there to be a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations, but Ben and I, we’re two different people,” Maria said. “In the end, I’m the one that has to put in the hard work. I’m the one that has to step in the cage. It’s not him.

“He did his time. He did all of his hard work, and the only thing that I think, it’s pressure is that I know how hard it is. I know what it takes. I know all the blood, sweat and tears that it goes into this sport. So if anything, I want to push myself as hard as my husband pushed himself, if not more, because he’s given me his legacy, and he’s helped me push forward. I don’t think there’s any pressure. I’m just excited to be here. I love to do this, and that’s why I’m here.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.

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Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 6-12)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, itโ€™s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, weโ€™ve got your back.

Each week, weโ€™ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie from Feb. 6-12.

Maria Henderson officially joins husband Benson on Bellator roster: ‘It’s something we’ve always hoped for’

Bellator MMA is now a family affair for the Hendersons โ€“ for the long haul.

Bellator MMA is now a family affair for the Hendersons.

Although [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag] has competed under the promotion’s banner as an amateur in a one-off deal, she wasn’t rostered long-term like her husband. Until Friday, that is. As first reported by MMA Underground, Henderson, wife of former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], inked a multifight deal with the promotion.

A Bellator official has since informed MMA Junkie that Henderson (1-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) will next fight against 3-0 amateur Mackenzie Stiller (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Bellator 293, a March 31 event at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.

“It’s something we’ve always hoped for,” Henderson told MMA Junkie on Friday. “Like I said, we fought for them before and I knew I needed a little bit more experience in the cage. I fought for them once and I fought for LFA a few times. We needed to get our feet wet. I’ve been trying to transition into MMA for a while, like, get fully into it. When we went pro, that’s what we did. I feel like it’s a good time for us. We know we’re going to make exciting things happen with Bellator.”

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Henderson, 30, fought at Bellator 268 in October 2021, when she defeated Collette Santiago in 40 seconds by submission. The bout was a rare amateur bout for the promotion, which decided to go outside of its typical professional boundaries and capitalize on the opportunity to put a husband and wife on the same card.

After she obtained a 3-0 record as an amateur with two submissions, Henderson turned pro. Henderson won her pro debut by Americana in 102 seconds at LFA 135 in July. There were light conversations about a long-term deal with Bellator in the past, but after her most recent win, the seriousness went to another level.

One previously long-standing obstacle for Henderson was the lack of a strawweight division in Bellator. However, the promotion may look to add one in the future. When or if they do, Henderson will be ready to prove herself.

“I knew they didn’t have a division,” Henderson said. “I’ve joked around with some of the guys in the past, like, ‘Hey, you know I’m ready if you want to start that division.’ They’re like, ‘Hey, bump up to 125 and we’re good to go.’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, no. I can’t do that. I don’t even walk around at 125. It’s just exciting. It means that not that they’re basing it off me or anything, but I’m ready to help them open that door.

“I don’t know how many girls they have on their roster so far. I know they’re going to be having a division going in the future. It’s just going to take some time to get it up and running. It’s just a bigger platform to get myself going in that 115-pound division. I’m going to be the best 115-pounder in the world.”

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LFA 135 video: Maria Henderson wins pro debut with insane first-round submission

Benson Henderson’s wife, Maria Henderson, needed less than two minutes to pull off an impressive submission in her pro debut.

[autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], wife of former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag], created an incredible highlight in her professional MMA debut.

Opening up the main card of LFA 135, Henderson (1-0) stepped into the cage for the first time as a pro after fighting three times as an amateur. Sharing the cage with her was a fellow pro debutant, Melanie McIntyre.

The fight started off quickly and in the opening exchange, Henderson landed a flush kick to the body. McIntyre (0-1) looked to clinch immediately after, but that eventually led to Henderson taking full mount after getting a trip takedown.

Henderson then switched to a triangle choke submission. McIntyre kept her left arm out in the open too long and Henderson locked in an Americana from her back, which prompted the tap from the double-submission maneuver at 1:42 of the first round.

Check out video of the wild finish in the video below (via Twitter):

 

The Hendersons spoke about why the time was right to make the jump to the professional ranks at this point. They felt their preparation was at such a high level that they felt the fight would be similar to that of an open-book test.

Ultimately, Maria performed as if she had all the answers, and walks out of the Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix as an undefeated professional MMA fighter.

Maria Henderson previews pro MMA debut at LFA 135 with husband Benson

Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson’s wife Maria is turning pro at LFA 135.

Soon former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] will not be the only professional MMA fighter in his household.

At LFA 135 on July 8, Benson’s wife, [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], will make her professional MMA debut following an undefeated amateur run of 3-0. The strawweight bout against Melanie McIntyre takes place at Arizona Federal Theatre in Phoenix and streams on UFC Fight Pass.

For Maria, everything felt right to make the jump to the professional ranks.

“For us, the timing made sense,” Maria said on Inside LFA with Ron Kruck. ” I was growing, I was able to stay in the gym, stay healthy, and it’s summertime with the kids. We don’t have to worry about a bunch of crazy schedules. … It just felt like it was the next step for us and we felt like I was ready to go pro.”

Standing across the cage from Henderson (0-0) will be McIntyre (0-0), who is also making her professional debut. McIntyre went 3-2 as an amateur fighter, but has experience across other combat sports disciplines. While Benson has nerves while his wife competes, he knows that all of the work and preparation has put her in a good place to be successful inside the cage.

“We work our butts off,” Benson said. “We absolutely work our butts off, so when it’s time for the test, we’re not worried. We’re not scared about it. We’re not nervous for the test. You know, everyone in high school has those things where they’re scared for this test. They go into algebra or whatever like, ‘Oh, I’m not ready for it.’ … Some of us, we have the other side of it where you walk into the math class and you’re ready for the test, not sweating at all, no worries at all. We know that we’re going to ace it. We know the ins and outs of the test. We could write the test for you, take it forwards or backward, no worries.

“When that happens, when our preparation is on point, we know we don’t need to be nervous about anything. She knows that and she’s been well-prepared for all of her fights so far and we’re going to make sure that happens for all her future fights as well.”

Check out the full interview with the Hendersons in the video above.

Video: Maria Henderson makes quick work of opponent, scores 40-second submission in Bellator debut

Watch Maria Henderson make quick work of her opponent at Saturday’s Bellator 268.

[autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag] wasted no time in her Bellator debut.

The wife of former UFC champion Benson Henderson submitted her opponent Collette Santiago with ease in her second amateur fight and her first bout under the Bellator banner. Maria (2-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) tapped out Santiago with a rear-naked choke 40 seconds into the flyweight contest.

Below is the video of Maria’s latest win:

Maria was able to quickly close the distance, take the fight to the ground and secure the back mount. From there, the MMA Lab product sank in the rear-naked choke to get the tap shortly after.

This marks Maria’s first finish, as he went the distance in her debut, defeating Amanda Mitchell via unanimous decision at LFA 100 back in February.

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Bellator 268 open workouts video: Vadim Nemkov, other tournament participants crack pads

Ahead of Bellator 268, Ryan Bader, Corey Anderson, Vadim Nemkov, Julius Anglickas, and Benson and Maria Henderson hit pads for reporters.

PHOENIX โ€“ Bellator light heavyweight champion [autotag]Vadim Nemkov[/autotag] and the three other remaining participants in the promotion’s current grand prix partook in an open workout Wednesday.

Bellator 268 takes place Saturday at Footprint Center. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.

Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), along with opponent [autotag]Julius Anglickas[/autotag] (10-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA), and co-main event participants [autotag]Corey Anderson[/autotag] (15-5 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) and [autotag]Ryan Bader[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 6-1 BMMA), joined former UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Benson Henderson[/autotag] (28-10 MMA, 5-5 BMMA) and his wife Maria (1-0 amateur) in the open-to-reporters event.

The Hendersons kicked things off, with Benson holding pads for Maria, before the four light heavyweight participants hit pads and faced off. Check out the open workout highlights of the light heavyweights in the video above โ€“ and watch a clip of the Hendersons’ workout below.

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LFA 100 results: Victor Altamirano earns flyweight gold at milestone event

LFA hit a milestone on Friday โ€“ and crowned a new champion.

LFA 100 marked a big milestone for the promotion, which, for the entirety of its existence has served as an unofficial feeder league for the UFC, Bellator and more.

LFA launched in January 2017 following a merger between RFA and Legacy FC. Since that time, LFA has promoted fights involving numerous competitors who went on to sign contracts with the UFC and Bellator.

A vacant flyweight title fight between [autotag]Victor Altamirano[/autotag] and [autotag]Nate Smith[/autotag] headlined Friday’s card. The bout was a one-way championship fight. Altamirano (9-1) was the only fighter of the two who could walk away with LFA gold because Smith (6-2), who took the fight on five days’ notice, missed weight by 2.6 pounds.

Altamirano won a unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-44) after 25 minutes of competition. It was Altamirano’s striking that proved to be the difference. Although Smith had his moments and secured a few takedowns, he wasn’t able to muster up any significant offense.

As LFA title gold was wrapped around his waist, things came full circle for Altamirano, who competed as an amateur at LFA 1 in January 2017.

Altamirano, 30, has won three straight fights. His only professional loss came to former UFC flyweight Jarred Brooks in October 2019.

The co-main event was a back-and-forth scrap and the finishing sequence was a turning of the tides. When [autotag]Charles Johnson[/autotag] was dropped by [autotag]Karlee Pangilinan[/autotag], he not only got back to his feet; he found a way to win. Johnson got up, grabbed hold of Pangilinan, and submitted Johnson with an anaconda choke.

In the card’s most violent moment, [autotag]Steven Nguyen[/autotag] returned from a nearly two-year layoff and violently face-planted opponent [autotag]Jorge Juarez[/autotag] with a brutal knockout punch. As Juarez’s unconscious body laid facedown on the canvas, Nguyen followed up with a vicious hammerfist. The fight was stopped 30 seconds into the opening round.

Earlier in the night, Tony Ferguson protege [autotag]Tommy Aaron[/autotag] channeled his inner “El Cucuy” flinging a barraged of wild and whacky strikes at opponent [autotag]Gerald Scott[/autotag]. A high-paced battle ended in Round 3 when Aaron (7-4) submitted Scott (4-1) via rear-naked choke.

On the Facebook prelims, [autotag]Maria Henderson[/autotag], wife of former UFC lightweight champion and current Bellator fighter Benson Henderson, won her amateur MMA debut. She defeated fellow debutant [autotag]Amanda Mitchell[/autotag] by unanimous decision.

LFA 100 took place Friday at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The main card streamed on UFC Fight Pass after prelims on Facebook.

Full LFA 100 results include:

  • Victor Altamirano def. Nate Smith via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-44)
  • Charles Johnson def. Karlee Pangilinan via submission (anaconda choke) โ€“ Round 2, 1:41
  • Steven Nguyen def. Jorge Juarez via knockout (punches) โ€“ Round 1, 0:30
  • Tommy Aaron def. Gerald Scott via submission (rear-naked choke) โ€“ Round 3, 3:57
  • Christian Natividad def. Evan Woolsey via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-27)
  • Emmanuela Moliere def. Amber Danielson-Smith via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-26)
  • Maria Henderson def. Amanda Mitchell via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) โ€“ amateur bout