Hometown Prospect Meets Former Champion

PFL Brussels is built around a single storyline: the homegrown prospect steps across the cage from a fighter who once ruled the sport. On Saturday, May 23, Patrick "The Belgian Bomber" Habirora and former UFC and WEC champion "Smooth" Benson Henderson headline at the ING Arena in a welterweight main event that pulls two eras of the sport into the cage. In the co-main event, French standout Taylor "Double Impact" Lapilus looks to stay at the top of the division against English grappling threat Jake "White Kong" Hadley.

MAIN EVENT: HABIRORA vs HENDERSON

Patrick "The Belgian Bomber" Habirora has done nothing but finish fights since arriving in the PFL. Eight professional outings, seven knockouts, and a finish rate that has made the welterweight division stop and pay attention. His last time out at PFL Lyon, he knocked out former UFC welterweight Kevin Jousset inside the opening round. The Brussels crowd has already seen what he is capable of at home, watching him knock out Danny Roberts with a round one head kick inside the ING Arena last July.

Watch: FEROCIOUS Welterweight Battle! Patrick Habirora v Kevin Jousset

"Smooth" Benson Henderson is one of the most credentialed fighters to ever step into a cage. A former WEC and UFC Lightweight World Champion, he sits among the all-time leaders in UFC lightweight title defenses, with career victories over Nate Diaz, Frankie Edgar (2x), and Jorge Masvidal. He last fought in March 2023, walking away from MMA after a loss to Usman Nurmagomedov at Bellator 292. During his time away from MMA, he competed in grappling and boxing, sharpening different tools for his MMA comeback that lands him in Brussels at welterweight against the hottest prospect in Europe.

Watch: The Most BRUTAL Knockouts From PFL 2025

This is the stylistic clash where Habirora is a finisher who turns up the volume early, hunting head kicks, looking for the spark moment, and applying suffocating top control once an opponent is hurt. Henderson is the opposite end of the spectrum, a methodical pressure fighter with a deep grappling base, world class cardio, and decades of championship experience to draw on when the rounds get long. If Henderson can drag this into deep water and lean on his veteran instincts, he can muddy up Habirora's offense. If Habirora lands clean inside the first ten minutes, the Brussels crowd may not get the chance to see what Henderson came to do.

For Habirora, this is the leap from prospect to a legitimate welterweight contender. A finish of a former UFC champion in front of his home crowd would move him one step closer to earning a title shot. For Henderson, this is a chance to prove that his MMA story is not finished and that he can still stand toe-to-toe against the next generation.

CO MAIN EVENT: LAPILUS vs HADLEY

Taylor "Double Impact" Lapilus arrives in Brussels with momentum and a target on his back. The French bantamweight is riding a five-fight win streak, capped by a punishing left hook that led to finishing Kasum Kasumov at PFL Dubai in February. The southpaw, Lapilus is a complete fighter: clean striking, a deep arsenal of submissions that includes six career sub wins, and the kind of fight IQ that comes from years of experience.

Watch: Bantamweight BATTLE! Taylor Lapilus v Kasum Kasumov

Jake "White Kong" Hadley is one of the most dangerous grapplers at 135 pounds. The Birmingham, England native is a former Cage Warriors flyweight champion pulled off one of the rarest submissions in modern MMA at PFL World Tournament 2 last April, finishing Matheus Mattos with a Scottish Twister to advance to the semifinals. The semifinal run ended against Marcirley Alves, putting Hadley in must win territory. His path to victory in Brussels is clear: get the takedown, take the back, and put opponents inside the kind of grappling traps very few people in the division can escape.

Watch: All angles of Jake Hadley's insane Scottish Twister submission

This fight is decided by where it gets fought. Lapilus is the more accomplished striker but has six submission wins of his own to keep the ground game dangerous. Hadley will want to take this to the ground. If Hadley can chain entries, body lock, and force scrambles, his finishing instincts on the ground are elite. If Lapilus can stuff the takedown attempts and keep this standing for fifteen minutes, he will be where he wants to be in the fight. 

A win pushes Lapilus to the doorstep of a PFL bantamweight title shot. A loss for Hadley puts him on the outside looking in at the division's contender picture. Both fighters are one performance away from either a major payoff or a long climb back.

PFL Brussels lands at ING Arena in Brussels, Belgium on Saturday, May 23. The card kicks off at 12:30 PM ET, streaming in the US on the ESPN App. Hometown noise, two generations of welterweight talent, and a bantamweight contender eliminator on the same night. Brussels is going to be loud.