Benson Henderson’s audition video for The Ultimate Fighter Season 9

“The Ultimate Fighter” season 9 aired on Spike TV in the spring of 2009. Appearing on the show were fighters such as Che Mills, DeMarques Johnson, James Wilks, Waylon Lowe, Andre Winner and Ross Pearson. Today it seems that the UFC may have missed the boat on one fighter that submitted a video to be included on the show.  That fighter, the new UFC Lightweight Champion Benson Henderson.

The show began filming in early 2009, about the same time that Henderson made his WEC debut at WE 38. During his run in the WEC he claimed the WEC Lightweight title, defeating Donald Cerrone for the interim title and then defeating Jamie Varner to unify the interim title and the WEC ttle.  He would then defend that title once, defeating Cerrone again, before losing the belt to Anthony Pettis in the final WEC event.

After that loss Henderson went on a tear, culminating with his victory over Frankie Edgar at UFC 144.

One wonders how things would have turned out had Henderson made it onto the cast of “TUF” 9.