Andrey Koreshkov Dominates Ex-UFC Champ Benson Henderson in Bellator 153 Headliner

Andrey Koreshkov showed little regard for Bellator MMA’s prized free-agent acquisition. The reigning welterweight champion dominated Benson Henderson at every turn in the Bellator 153 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, winning a lopsided unanimous decision — 50-45, 50-45, 50-45 — to retain his title. Henderson (23-6, 0-1 Bellator), who entered the contest on the strength of back-to-back 170-pound triumphs over Jorge Masvidal and Brandon Thatch in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, had no answer for the superior size, reach and power of his opponent. Koreshkov (19-1, 10-1 Bellator) set the tone for the rout in the opening stanza, where he brutalized the ex-lightweight king with kicks to the body before nearly finishing the bout with a flying knee at the end of the frame. It did not get any better from there. Koreshkov continued to attack the body and often forced his foe to shoot for takedowns out of self-preservation, as he landed clean hard punches, spinning kicks and knees and dropped his foe with an uppercut in the fourth frame. Unfortunately for the MMA Lab product, he was never able to take the stronger Koreshkov to the canvas. Instead, “Smooth” relied on heart and guile to survive until the final horn. “I hate losing. I hate it more than anything,” Henderson said. “Hat’s off to Andrey. Coming in, we knew how tough he was. We knew it was gonna be a tough fight. Big as heck, strong as heck. I don’t like losing. I want to get back in there right away.” Koreshkov has now won seven straight fights since being overwhelmed by then-welterweight champion Ben Askren at Bellator 97 in July 2013. Henderson has lost three of his last five bouts. In the co-main event, Patricio Freire shook off a slow start to bring an abrupt end to his featherweight encounter with Henry Corrales. The ex-featherweight king submitted Corrales, who took the bout on short notice, with a guillotine choke 4:09 into the second round. With the win, Freire rebounds from a decision loss to Daniel Straus that cost him his title at Bellator 145 in November. “After my loss to Straus, I am prepared for …

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