Bellator 292 results: Former UFC champ Benson Henderson retires after first-round loss to Usman Nurmagomedov

Benson Henderson called it a career.

It took Usman Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) in just 2:37 to finish Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-7 BMMA) and defend his Bellator Lightweight Championship at Bellator 292.

In the main event of Friday’s event at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, Nurmagomedov took down Henderson with a rear naked choke after a question mark kick that knocked the former UFC champion to the ground in the opening seconds.

Henderson recovered from the initial knockdown, although he was constantly penalized with follow-up punches. Nurmagomedov moved to his back and worked on the pitch. Henderson defended at first, but after he ran towards the cage, Nurmagomedov used his punches, grabbed his neck, squeezed and got hit.

After the fight, Henderson announced his retirement from the cage in an interview with analyst John McCarthy. Henderson, who had two more fights left on his contract with Bellator, said he told himself before signing the contract that if he lost, he would terminate the contract. On Friday, he fulfilled that promise.

Henderson, 39, ends with a long summary of high-level accolades. He is a former UFC Lightweight Champion and a former WEC Lightweight Champion. Wins include Frankie Edgar, Josh Thomson, Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar, Jim Miller, Clay Guide, Donald Cerrone and Patricio Freire.

After winning what became a Grand Prix quarter-final, Nurmagomedov advances to the semi-finals against the winner of the Bellator 295 bout between Mansour Barnawi and Brent Primus in May.

The most recent Bellator 292 results include:

• Alexander Chablis Tofig Musaev by technical knockout, round 3, 0:29

• Linton Vassel def. Valentin Moldavsky by knockout (in the ground) – Round 1, 3:03

• Michael Page vs. Goichi Yamauchi by knockout (kick) – round 1, 0:26.

• Enrique Barzola vs. Eric Perez via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

• Josh Hill victorious Cass Bell by split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

• Khalid Murtazaliev beat. Tony Johnson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

• Dovletjan Yagshimuradov defeated. Julius Anglikas by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

• Laird Anderson def. Rogelio Luna submission (rear naked choke) – round 1, 2; 41.

• Theo Haig def. Adam Wamsley by submission (guillotine choke), round 1, 3:01.

To learn more about the card, visit the MMA Junkie event center to Bellator 292.

The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie.