Benson Henderson vs. Chris Avila added to Misfits Boxing 18 tournament

MMA legend Benson Henderson will make his boxing debut against fellow UFC veteran, Chris Avila, at Misfits Boxing 18 in Newcastle, UK.

The Henderson vs. Avila fight was announced in a press release on Tuesday. The September 14th event also features the return of OnlyFans star Elle Brooke in the main event against former Bare Knuckle FC fighter Jenny Savage.

Henderson returns to combat sports after retiring from MMA last year. His last MMA fight was against Bellator lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov; losing by first-round submission.

Henderson returned to fighting via Karate Combat, taking on two-time UFC opponent Anthony Pettis in December. In his first appearance in the Karate Combat pit, he lost the fight by unanimous decision.

As of this writing, it’s uncertain if Henderson will transition full-time to boxing, or if the Avila fight is a one-off.

Benson Henderson vs. Chris Avila headlines one-night boxing tournament

Avila returns to the ring after six consecutive wins since making the full-time move to boxing. In July, he most recently defeated Pettis by unanimous decision on the Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal boxing card.

Avila, who fought in the UFC twice in 2016, has found a home in the boxing ring. He’s earned recent wins over Jeremy Stephens, Paul Bamba, and Jake Bostwick during his boxing career.

Henderson is one of the greatest MMA lightweights of all time after a memorable run in the UFC Octagon. During his promotional tenure, he earned wins over the likes of Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar, and Gilbert Melendez.

The winner of Henderson vs. Avila will face the victor of Idris Virgo vs. Fes Batista in the light heavyweight tournament. The championship bout will take place on the same night.

Misfits Boxing 18 can be viewed on DAZN, and the event will take place at the Vertu Motors Arena.