Maria Henderson, wife of Benson Henderson, set to make professional debut at LFA 135

Maria Henderson is set to join her husband in the ranks of professional fighting.

The wife of former UFC lightweight champion and current Bellator fighter Benson Henderson, Maria Henderson (0-0) will make her pro debut July 7 at LFA 135 in Phoenix, the promotion recently announced. The event will stream on UFC Fight Pass.

Henderson, who went 3-0 as an amateur with two submissions and one decision, will take on Melanie McIntyre (0-0) in a strawweight bout. McIntyre went 3-2 as an amateur and has not competed since 2018.

The Hendersons were in the spotlight together at Bellator 268 in October, when they both competed on the same card. In a rare move, Bellator booked Maria on the undercard in about she won by 40-second submission. Benson competed later in the event, but lost to Brent Primus by decision.

The current LFA 135 lineup includes:

• Alfonso Leyva vs. Daniel Reis
• Felipe Bunes vs. Wascar Cruz
• Lucas Clay vs. Austin Wourms
• Allan Begosso vs. Paris Stanford
• Jena Bishop vs. Luana Santos
• Rafael do Nascimento vs. Marcus McGhee
• Maria Henderson vs. Melanie McIntyre