If Benson Henderson hadn’t signed with Bellator, ONE Championship was apparently a serious contender to land the former UFC and WEC lightweight champion.

After a free-agency period in which he said he spoke to several different suitors, Henderson (23-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) ultimately joined the ranks of Bellator, where he’ll debut on April 22 against welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov (18-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) at Bellator 153.

ONE Championship was a potential suitors, according to company executive Loren Mack, who said Henderson, who’s half-Korean, was attractive to an organization that routinely holds events in the Philippines, China, Singapore, Malaysia and other Asian locales.

“Obviously Asia is our market, and we’re always looking for that type of angle,” Mack told MMAjunkie Radio. “Henderson, I think the fact he has some Korean roots was certainly of interest to us. We’re looking for the best fighters around the world.”

Henderson ultimately decided to pass on the ONE Championship offer, but Mack said he wasn’t discouraged by a missed opportunity to add a ranked and relevant fighter to the roster.

Mack said Henderson isn’t the first – nor will he be the last – free agent that ONE Championship execs will try to sign. The roster also features welterweight champ Ben Askren (14-0) and Brandon Vera (14-7), and Mack pointed to their success as a reason why a fighter like Henderson should take a serious look at what ONE Championship has to offer.

“I think there are other appeals as well for a guy like Benson Henderson,” Mack said. “Take a look at Brandon Vera, who was doing mediocre things in North America, was fighting at two different weight classes and couldn’t necessarily find his home and which weight class he wanted to be at. ONE Championship picks him up, and the last two fights sold out 20,000 seat areas. He fights for the title in his last fight, is sponsored by Under Armour, sponsored by the best MMA apparel company, Bad Boy, fans screaming for him. He just won the most prestigious title in Asian MMA. His career is on a path it hasn’t been on in a very long time.

“Fighters like Benson Henderson are looking at that and saying, ‘Hey man, maybe I can go that route as well.’ Ben Askren is another great example. He’s a North American guy but has so much respect in Asia wherever he goes. He’s getting mobbed. … People are looking at that and it’s a really good opportunity.”

For more on ONE Championship’s upcoming schedule, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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