Henderson cops Bellator title as foe quits

ANAHEIM, California – Benson Henderson got his first Bellator victory Friday night when Patricio Freire quit their bout in the second round with a right leg injury.

After Freire (25-4) appeared to win a dull first round at Bellator 160, he abruptly turned away from Henderson following an exchange in the second. Henderson walked around the cage shrugging his shoulders at the booing Orange County crowd while Freire sat on a stool and received medical attention on his leg, which apparently was hurt while kicking Henderson.

“I guess I’ll take a W any way I can get it,” Henderson said.

Although Henderson (24-6) got handed this win, the former UFC lightweight champion rebounded from a loss in his disappointing Bellator debut earlier this year.

Immediately afterward, the promotion announced Henderson will face Michael Chandler for the 155-pound title Nov. 19.

After losing to welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov in his first Bellator appearance in April, Henderson is hoping to recharge his career by ending his three-fight stint at 170 pounds and moving back down to a familiar weight.

Henderson won the UFC lightweight title in February 2012 by beating Frankie Edgar, and he defended it with narrow decisions over Edgar, Nate Diaz and Gilbert Melendez. After losing the belt to Anthony Pettis in August 2013, he scuffled through a 4-3 stretch of UFC competition before leaving for Bellator early this year.

Henderson is Bellator’s biggest free-agent signing to date as the promotion pursues parity with the industry-leading UFC, but he was officially joined Friday night by Rory MacDonald, a possible future opponent. MacDonald, the former UFC welterweight title contender, announced his decision to sign with Bellator as a free agent during the show, walking into Honda Center in front of a huge Canadian flag.