(Video courtesy of YouTube/CircaSeventyNine)
Back in 2008 Benson Henderson was looking to take his career to the next level. Coming off of a dominant win over Diego Saraiva, the 7-1 lightweight decided that the best way to the big stage was to try out for The Ultimate Fighter 9: United States vs. United Kingdom. He fell short in his bid to be on the show, (either that or UFC matchmaker Joe Silva had other plans for him), but was instead given a chance in the UFC’s feeder league, the WEC, where he fought three months prior to and the same month that the show began filming.
The eventual winner of the lightweight bracket of the show was Ross Pearson, and the runner-up Andre Winner was dropped by the UFC. Although Henderson stood a good chance of winning the season, his alternate path proved much more fruitful.
Nine months after his first WEC fight, “Smooth One” became WEC lightweight champ by beating Donald Cerrone. 28 months later he would win the UFC strap from Frankie Edgar.
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