With media callout, Benson Henderson says he is tired of playing games

Let it be known that Benson Henderson (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is on to the MMA media.

After submitting Rustam Khabilov (17-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 42, Henderson put on notice reporters on press row covering the event by walking over to the area and yelling, “Say something now. I’m talking to you. Say something now.”

It’s not clear what Henderson wanted them to say, of course; At the event’s post-fight press conference, Henderson said his words weren’t directed at anyone in particular. But moving forward, he said he prefers to have a one-sided conversation when it comes to his performances.

“I do my talking inside the octagon,” said Henderson, who acted with mock-surprise when asked about his words by MMAjunkie. “A lot of times, your guys’ job is to tell a story and say this and say that, and you want us to say this and say that. … ‘Hey, Piotr Hallman, say this.’ You give your questions a certain way.

“I’m on to your guys’ tricks. Don’t doubt. We’re fighters – we’re smart guys, too. We’re not all neanderthals. So I’m on to your guys’ tricks, trying to get us to say this and say that, and I just want to reiterate, I do my talking inside the octagon. So if any story you want to write, anything you want to say, judge it off my time inside the octagon.”

Henderson certainly spoke loudly in the octagon on Saturday, though it remains to be seen what the performance does for his career. He has lost twice to current lightweight champ Anthony Pettis and needs more wins to justify a third attempt to win back the belt he lost this past August.

The onetime title challenger, who notched his second straight win following his loss to Pettis, was a 2-to-1 favorite in the bout. Yet there was a sense that the former champ thought he was doubted by the media.

While Henderson did earn his first stoppage victory in four years, it wasn’t an easy task. Khabilov often shrugged him off in the clinch and landed a persistent straight right cross, also earning takedowns and reversing out of a choke attempt in the second round.

“It was a great fight,” Henderson said. “It was a good, fun fight to be a part of. The first round, he hit me with a shot, and I blocked it, like it didn’t hit me cleanly, but he landed it, and it pushed me backward. I was like, ‘Damn, you’re strong.’”

The finish came in the fourth round when Henderson landed a two-punch combination that rocked Khabilov and sent him to the mat, where Henderson got to his back and sunk in a rear-naked choke.

But while the finish was perhaps the best response to critics that have taken aim at his style, Henderson downplayed its significance.

“Getting the ‘W’ is the same as all the other ‘Ws,’” he said. “I’m just after good performances, whether it’s a submission or its a knockout, sometimes you guys in the media don’t understand what it is to win. Like, I don’t know how many times you guys have competed at a high level wrestling or tennis or football in high school or something like that. But you’re after good performances, whether you get a knockout off of it or a submission off of it.

“So tonight, I was able to have a good performance. Sometimes you get finishes, (and) sometimes you don’t. That’s the way the cookie crumbles, I guess.”

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 42, check out the UFC Events section of the site.