Benson Henderson is set to compete in the PFL smart cage next month, a development that has brought a smile to the face of a former teammate. Henderson, a former WEC and UFC lightweight champion, is scheduled to face Patrick Habirora on May 23rd, 2026, at the ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium, as part of the Professional Fighters League event.
The former teammate in question is James Nakashima, who recently captured the Unified MMA lightweight championship in Canada. When asked about Henderson’s upcoming PFL bout and his opponent, the undefeated prospect Habirora, Nakashima offered his thoughts.
“No, I don’t; I rarely get on social media. So I didn’t know. Me and Benson don’t ever contact. I love Benson, but we were just friends in the practice room. That was it. It didn’t go on beyond any of that. So, I hardly only stay in contact with a couple people from The [MMA] Lab, but Benson’s he’s; fighters don’t ever retire. I guess that’s kind of what I’ve heard and that’s funny.”
Nakashima elaborated on the concept of fighters finding it difficult to fully step away from the sport, using Henderson as an example. He continued:
“I don’t know. I just feel like fighters never retire. As long as they keep calling and Benson’s training. Benson, for any one workout, Benson will train as hard as; he can go as deep and as in the water as anybody, anyone. Benson’s a dog. So that’s cool to hear that he’s fighting again. Like I said, that’s funny because I always think that’s funny whenever fighters say that they retire and I don’t know, they always come back.”
Nakashima’s perspective humorously touches upon the persistent competitive spirit often found in MMA athletes, suggesting that for many, the desire to fight never truly fades.