MMA
PFL Brussels: Habirora vs. Henderson welterweight fight
NEW YORK – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) will travel to Belgium on Saturday, May 23, for a major welterweight clash at the ING Arena in Brussels.
The main event will be the undefeated Belgium team Patrick Habirora (8-0) puts his perfect record on the line against the former UFC and WEC champion Benson Henderson (30-12). In this fight, one of the fastest developing players in Europe will face one of the most successful veterans of this sport.
Information about tickets and broadcasts
Pre-sale tickets for PFL Brussels will be available from Tuesday, March 3 at 12:00 CET, with general sales starting on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:00 CET at pfl.info/brussels.
The event will be broadcast live in the United States on the ESPN app for subscribers with access to the ESPN Unlimited plan, while fans in France will be able to follow the action on RMC Sport.
The undefeated Belgian striker faces his biggest challenge
Habirora, currently ranked No. 10 in the welterweight rankings, enters the fight with an impressive 8-0 professional record, including seven wins by KO or TKO. Known as “The Belgian Bomber,” he made a statement last December at the PFL Lyon Stadium, beating Kevin Jousset with a massive first-round knockout followed by relentless ground striking.
Now, competing in front of a home crowd in Brussels, Habirora will face the most formidable opponent of his teenage career. A victory over Henderson would significantly raise his welterweight status and solidify his reputation as one of Europe’s top elite prospects.
Henderson’s championship pedigree
Henderson brings nearly two decades of elite-level experience to the cage. Former UFC and WEC lightweight champion “Polished” has defeated top fighters including Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (twice) and Jorge Masvidal.
Most recently, Henderson continued to hone his skills in multiple combat sports, including grappling, karate, wrestling and boxing, before returning to MMA competition. The veteran is determined to prove that his experience, versatility and mastery continue to make him a earnest threat in the league.
Updated PFL Brussels main card
Premises: ING Arena – Brussels, Belgium
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Start time: 18:00 CEST | 12:00 EST
Program: ESPN App (USA) | RMC Sport (France)
Welterweight main event:
#10 Patrick Habirora (8-0) vs. Benson Henderson (30-12)
With local pride and a former world cage champion on the line, PFL Brussels promises a high-stakes main event that could shape the future of the welterweight division.
MMA
Morning Report | Dana White teases more about UFC’s next ‘impossible event’: ‘Hopefully I can get this thing done next week’
Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCUFC fan favorite Diego Lopes will make the full-time move to the lightweight division after his latest win at UFC Freedom 250.
Former UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes is in a bizarre spot in the 145-pound title picture after suffering two losses to current titleholder Alexander Volkanovski. Despite making a strong case for a title shot with an impressive come-from-behind knockout against Steve Garcia at the White House, Lopes would likely have to win a few fights before making the case for another shot at the belt.
Lopes, who lost back-to-back title fights to Volkanovski, has also earned recent featherweight wins over Jean Silva and Brian Ortega. But Lopes is big for the featherweight division and has teased a potential move to lightweight for months.
Amidst his peculiar spot in the featherweight division, Lopes is taking matters into his own hands and making the move to lightweight.
Diego Lopes announces full-time move to lightweight, hoping for MSG return
In a recent interview with Ag.Fight, Lopes shared an update on his return to the Octagon.
“We're taking the leap in our career now; we're going up a division, in advanced talks,†Lopes said.
“We're hoping to fight at MSG in November.â€
One potential lightweight opponent is BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira, who was rumored to fight Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 331 before pulling out of recent fight talks. Oliveira's teammate Allan Nascimento's tragic death leaves a timeline for the BMF champion's return to the Octagon unclear.
Lopes hasn't fought at lightweight in his UFC tenure, although he fought in a 165-pound catchweight bout against Dan Ige at UFC 303. He's fought as low as bantamweight during his combat sports career.
As the lightweight division continues to blossom with intriguing matchups for the rest of the year, Lopes' addition opens the door to plenty of possible bookings. We could be weeks away from getting news on Lopes' return to the cage.
Who should Diego Lopes fight next? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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