- Benson Henderson’s parents are his Korean mom; Song Kwa Graves, and an African American father who served in the USFK
- He was once in a relationship with a Hawaiian Hulu dancer before he met his wife; Maria Magana in 2012
- Benson Henderson has an older brother named Julius Henderson who is also a mixed martial artist and has a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
American mixed martial artist, Benson Henderson’s parents are Mrs. Song Hwa Graves and Mr. Henderson. While he has kept most aspects of his dad private, it is no secret that his mother has been a very big part of his life.
In his love life, the MMA fighter dated a Hawaiian dancer known as Katie O’Gara in 2006 but is now married to Maria Victoria Magana.
Fondly known as ‘Smooth’, Benson Henderson is an American mixed martial artist competing for Bellator MMA in the Lightweight division.
Benson Henderson’s Parents are from Different Ethnic Backgrounds
Song Hwa Graves, Benson’s mother is a Korean woman born and brought up in Korea. His father, Mr. Henderson, is an African American. His African-American father served in the United States Forces Korea (USFK). It is most likely that he met the mother of his kids during his service in Korea.
According to the professional fighter, his mother arrived in the United States with no background or knowledge of the English language. Still, she was able to maneuver her way around certain things and work.
Song worked 3 shifts every day while tending to her family and kids. She also tried to imbibe some Korean culture into her kids who were born in the United States. Mrs. Hwa Graves encouraged her children to take up Tae Kwon Do from an early age to keep them rooted in Korean culture and tradition.
The 41-year-old MMA fighter clearly has a closer relationship with his mother. He fondly remembers his mom cooking traditional Korean dishes and she was wont to speak the Korean language to her kids. Because of this, Benson Henderson understands the language better than he speaks it.
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Henderson Has Had about Two Known Relationships
As of 2006, Benson worked as a coach to wrestlers in Nebraska as he was awaiting a call to the police force. His mentees challenged him to enter a mixed martial arts competition which he obliged.
Henderson enjoyed being part of the competition and he won his first fight in the MMA. This set a precedent for his career in mixed martial arts. He then had a change of plans from becoming a police officer to a fighter, much to his mother’s dismay.
However, upon his insistence to carry on with this newfound career, Benson began to gain fame, fortune, recognition, and women.
In the same year, he reportedly started a relationship with Katie O’Gara, a Hawaiian dancer. Katie was a Hulu dancer who is also a graduate and an occupational therapist.
The relationship got to the point of engagement in 2009 and they were to get married in 2011. However, it didn’t pull through and they called it quits.
A year after this, the part-Korean wrestling coach had gotten into a relationship with Maria Magana. By April 2013 the couple got engaged and on New Year’s Day of 2014, they got married.
Together, they have 4 children, Kyung (9), Kub (7), Koah (6), and Knightley (4).
His wife is a jujitsu expert who following in her husband’s steps, made her MMA IFA amateur debut in February 2021. Maria (32) then turned MMA pro on July 08, 2022.
Benson Henderson Has an Older Brother
Benson Henderson’s other family member is his older brother, Julius Henderson. He was born in Korea but had to move with his parents when they relocated to the United States. Benson, on the other hand, was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States of America.
It was Julius and the Dana College graduate who learned Tae Kwon Do together. As a result, both of them have black belts in the art. According to his Instagram bio, it looks like Julius is a UFC fighter with Bellator as well.
On a broader scale though, the wrestler cum Bellator fighter has a large brood of relatives. On a trip to Korea, he was encouraged by his mother to visit his extended family. Benson Henderson and Song Hwa Graves visited her family there and it was his first time meeting them as well as his mother since she moved away from home.
Many people believe that Benson Henderson is turning mixed martial arts into a family thing. They may not be wrong because his wife has joined him in IFA fighting. When his kids are up to age, the father and mother may recruit every single one of them. In extension, Benson comes from a very large family as his mother’s Korean roots gave him a lot of relatives. Similarly, he is close to his wife’s family and gets to spend ample time with the Maganas and their extended family members as well.
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