A rematch between former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler and former UFC champion Benson Henderson is scheduled to headline Bellator 243 on August 7.
Combate and MMAFighting reported that a rematch between Bellator lightweight contenders Michael Chandler and Benson Henderson is set for August 7. This will be the third time that the rematch has been scheduled after an attempt last December was scrapped due to an injury to Henderson and another attempt was scrapped in May due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Chandler enters the final fight of his Bellator contract coming off a win over Sidney Outlaw last December in Japan. Over the past two years, Chandler has had whirlwind run that saw him reclaim his title from former champion Brent Primus and then lose it in stunning fashion to current champion Patricio Freire last May.
An impressive victory for Chandler next month would open doors for him in free agency as he could have the option to stay in Bellator as a title challenger or possibly add depth to the lightweight division of another promotion. Chandler won the first meeting with Henderson in 2016 when he defended his lightweight title via split decision.
Henderson is looking to build his own case for a rematch with Freire as he attempts to score his fifth victory in a row. After a UFC run that saw Henderson defend the lightweight title a record tying three times, “Smooth” entered Bellator in 2016 and went on a 1-3 run.
In 2018 after rehabbing a knee injury, Henderson embarked on a four fight win-streak against Roger Huerta, Saad Awad, Adam Piccolotti, and Myles Jury. A victory over Chandler would be his biggest in the promotion and undoubtedly put pressure on the promotion to make a decision on the lightweight title as current champion Freire is in the midst of the Featherweight Grand Prix.
Currently, no other bouts for the card have been announced.
