Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson is ending his three-year MMA retirement to face undefeated Belgian prospect Patrick Habirora in the main event of PFL Brussels on May 23, 2026. The welterweight bout at ING Arena pits the 42-year-old veteran against the 24-year-old rising star. Habirora aims to extend his 8-0 record, while Henderson seeks to re-enter title contention.
The Professional Fighters League announced that Benson "Smooth" Henderson will make his PFL debut against Patrick "The Belgian Bomber" Habirora in the welterweight main event of PFL Brussels, scheduled for Saturday, May 23, 2026, at ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium. The event begins at 6 p.m. CEST (12 p.m. EST) and will be broadcast on the ESPN App for U.S. viewers with ESPN Unlimited access and on RMC Sport in France.
Henderson, a former WEC and UFC lightweight champion with a 30-12 record, retired from MMA following a first-round submission loss to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292 in March 2023. Since then, the 42-year-old has remained active in other combat sports, including a loss to Anthony Pettis in Karate Combat in 2023, mixed results in Misfits Boxing in 2024, and a recent technical submission defeat to Aljamain Sterling in grappling at RAF 6. Henderson's career highlights include victories over Frankie Edgar (twice), Nate Diaz, and Jorge Masvidal.
Habirora, ranked No. 10 in PFL welterweight, enters undefeated at 8-0, with seven finishes by knockout or TKO. The 24-year-old Belgian has gone 4-0 in the PFL SmartCage, most recently stopping UFC veteran Kevin Jousset via first-round knockout at PFL Lyon in December 2025. Prior to that, he headlined PFL Europe Brussels in July 2025 with a first-round head-kick knockout of Danny Roberts at 4:32. This marks Habirora's second time headlining in his home country within a year.
The matchup represents a generational clash, with the winner potentially entering the welterweight title mix against champion Thad Jean. Tickets go on pre-sale March 3, 2026, at 12 p.m. CET, and general sale March 4 via pfl.info/brussels. The full card is expected to be announced in coming weeks.
