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Bellator MMA

The Bellator Lightweight World Grand Prix kicks off with a high-profile title fight between Usman Nurmagomedov and Benson Henderson. It's the present and future vs. the past when reigning champion Nurmagomedov defends his crown against multi-time champion Henderson at Bellator 292 on Friday night.

Nurmagomedov (16-0) makes the first defense of his Bellator lightweight championship in San Jose against an ultra-experienced opponent. Henderson is on the final stretch of his career, but he is certainly the most accomplished and established Grand Prix contestant. Nurmagomedov has lived up to the lofty expectations attached to his last name. Friday's main event affords him the opportunity to build his own legacy by adding a celebrated, credentialed name to his perfect record.

"Benson is a great opponent because he is a great fighter with a great legacy, so for me to defeat him first will be a great leg up," Nurmagomedov said at the Bellator 292 media day on Wednesday. "It's a great start because he's very well-known. It will be a good thing for my resume.

"Whether in MMA or life in general, I never dismiss people. The fact that he lost could be due to multiple reasons, and people tend to improve from their mistakes. He is a strong fighter, and I do not underestimate him because he has lost fights before."

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It's been a while, but Henderson (30-11) finds himself in familiar territory. The former UFC and WEC lightweight champion is no stranger to the spotlight, beating the likes of Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, Frankie Edgar (twice) and Donald Cerrone (twice). Bellator 292 is Henderson's last stand. One final push for a world title before he steps aside to support his wife Maria Henderson's blossoming MMA career. Henderson is in the biggest underdog slot of his career by a wide margin but you wouldn't gauge that by talking to him.

"[I have the advantage] everywhere," Henderson told CBS Sports. "I think the biggest problem for him will be the kickboxing. If he wants to stay in a kickboxing fight and just do kickboxing, I have no problem with that. Let's put on some gloves and fight with kickboxing rules. I think I win that. Put on some gloves and have a Muay Thai fight, I think I win that also.

"Do you want to put on a singlet and do some wrestling? No problem. Let's do freestyle, let's do Greco, let's do folkstyle. Whatever style of wrestling you want to do, I'll probably win that. The only thing he probably beats me at is sambo. I don't have a whole lot of sambo experience. In a gi in jiu-jitsu, I win that. No-gi in jiu-jitsu, I win that."

Check out the full interview with Benson Henderson below.

The undercard also features a second quarterfinal matchup in the Lightweight World Grand Prix. Alexander Shabliy will face off with Tofiq Musyaev in the co-main event with a spot in the semifinals at stake. Shabliy enters on a seven-fight win streak overall including three straight since joining the promotion in 2021. His last win may have been his most impressive when he stopped former champion Brent Primus on strikes. Musyaev, meanwhile, made a stunning debut in the promotion with a 27-second knockout of Sidney Outlaw in July. 

Plus, Valentin Moldavsky is back when he takes on Linton Vassell in a heavyweight contest. And knockout artist Michael "Venom" Page kicks off the festivities when he takes on submission specialist Goiti Yamauchi.

Below is the rest of the fight card for Friday with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.

Bellator 292 card, odds

Favorite
Underdog
Weightclass
Usman Nurmagomedov (c) -2000
Benson Henderson +1000
Lightweight championship
Alexander Shabliy -140 Tofiq Musyaev +120 Lightweight
Valentin Moldavsky -300
Linton Vassell +240
Heavyweight
Michael Page -125
Goiti Yamauchi +105
Welterweight

Bellator 292 viewing information

Date: March 10 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: SAP Center -- San Jose, California
TV channel: Showtime

Prediction

Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Benson Henderson: Oddsmakers are horribly disrespecting Henderson, but it's a testament to Nurmagomedov's limitless potential. Nurmagomedov is already such a well-rounded threat and at just 24 years old, he has a good decade to become truly special. The lightweight champion showed off his grappling chops in a dominant performance against Patricky Pitbull. It was a pivotal compliment to the dynamic striking he exhibited in earlier fights. Still, the ultra-talented and well-trained champion should expect a long night of work against Henderson. The challenger has a knack for fighting at range and slowing down grappling exchanges, a combination that has kept him safe and healthy over his 13-year career. Henderson, 39, has only been stopped four times in 41 fights and just once in the last seven years. Henderson has as diverse of a skillset as he claims, but I doubt he has enough of a technical advantage, if any, to make up for Nurmagomedov's strength and athleticism. The fight could be marginally competitive depending on Nurmagomedov's output, but the outcome is the same. Nurmagomedov via UD