Benson Henderson has four fights left in him.
After that, he becomes Mr. Mom.
Henderson, a former UFC and WEC champion, meets Peter Queally Friday in the main event of Bellator 285. The veteran has come to terms with his impending retirement and future after competing.
“This is the last four fights of my career. Give it all I’ve got, the best I’ve got,” Henderson said. “After that, I’m done, and then it’s my wife’s turn. Give her a chance to be a world champion. I’ll pick up the kids from school, take them to chess practice, make meals; I’ll do all that stuff.
“It puts that much more pressure: for the rest of my life, I’ve got four left. I think it adds more pressure, but I always add more pressure to myself to get the most out of myself.”
Henderson knows it won’t be easy taking on Queally in Dublin, Ireland. The event airs live on Showtime in the U.S.
“Peter’s tough. He’s a veteran. He’s a tough guy, and I think it’s going to be a good fight,” Henderson said. “He’s going to go in there and try to beat me up, and I’m going to try to beat him up. I’m gonna do what I’m gonna do.”
This marks the second trip to Ireland for Henderson under the Bellator banner. He defeated Myles Jury back in 2019 at Bellator 227 via decision.
“I want to give the Irish fans a better show. I felt, after the Jury fight, a little lackluster,” he said. “I felt it wasn’t my best performance, and I think a fighter like Peter Queally, that’s going to bring the best out of me. I’m bringing out the whole family this time, and we’re going to explore Dublin and all of Ireland and go sightseeing a little bit.
“The Irish fans were amazing. A great experience, great vibe, great energy from the crowd. I like to think of us more as athletes, but I’m realistic: we’re entertainers, as well. And as an entertainer, to be in that environment, it’s electrifying. It’s all of it. Overall, the entire experience in Dublin has been awesome. I generally have a good experience, but Dublin last time I was here was something else. The crowd was amazing. The ‘Sweet Caroline;’ it’s cool to see a crowd so pumped up for a fight.”
