Benson Henderson (pictured) will defend his lightweight title against T.J. Grant at UFC 164. Photo: Josh Hedges / Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Recently awarded a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will have great reasons to put his level in the gentle art in practice.
The UFC confirmed late Tuesday that the champion will put his belt on the line against T.J. Grant at UFC 164, an event to be held on Aug. 31 in Milwaukee. The news was first reported on “UFC Tonight.”
Grant (21-5) is an athletic finisher. A brown belt in Jiu-Jitsu, he has beaten 13 opponents by submission. Grant is facing “Bendo” coming off five straight wins in the UFC, the last over Gray Maynard at UFC 160, the fight that earned him a shot at the lightweight belt.
Henderson (19-2), beyond being a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, also boasts a belt of the same color in Taekwondo. He is unbeaten in the UFC (seven fights) and has defended the 155-pound belt three times. In his last trip in the Octagon, Bendo had to overcome the tough Gilbert Melendez in a split decision to continue with the highest rank in the UFC’s lightweight division.
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