LAS VEGAS – Victor Henry is back in the win column. This time, he avoided getting kicked in the testicles – and that feels good.
On the UFC on ESPN 55 prelims, Henry (24-6 MMA, 3-1 UFC) defeated seasoned veteran Rani Yahya (28-12-1 MMA, 13-6-1 UFC) with a barrage of punches for a standing TKO at 2:36 of Round 2.
The fight was Henry’s first since a groin strike left him facedown, screaming on the canvas at UFC 294 in October.
“What happened in the past is what happened in the past,” Henry told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference Saturday. “That last fight over in Abu Dhabi, it is what it is. That is part of fighting. It’s not just the training camp. It’s not just the win. It’s not just the loss. It’s everything involved in it. We’ve got Michael Bisping. He’s going a wonky eye now. We’ve got Bas Rutten. He’s got nerve damage in his arm. I guess it was my time to get punted in the pills. That’s fighting. There’s a lot of chaos that happens. It’s not always predictable.”
While Henry anticipated the inherent danger of accidental fouls, he was caught a bit off guard by the wave of negativity that flooded his social media accounts after the incident and the bout’s designation as a no contest.
“In the UFC, you have certain groups of people going for certain people because of certain religions, certain races,” Henry said. “You have the guys that are basic. Your basic fans, they just like to see fights, which is cool. You have the guys that are kind of into it. They follow the top-five, the top-15. Then, you have the students of the game who watch everything about it. I appreciated that so many people showed up for my opponent. Javid Basharat is a great martial artist. His record speaks for itself and he’s pulling a decent fanbase for the sport. I was happy for it.
“All the hate I got on my Instagram afterward, I don’t like to see that side of humanity. At the same time, it’s funny. And I left it up on my page. You can go right now and see all the negative comments toward me. In my eyes, it’s just activity on my Instagram. It just makes me look either better or worse. But hey, Kim Kardashian said it best, ‘Any press is good press.’ I’m just not doing what she did. Well, I just got punted in the pills, so I’m almost there anyway, right?”
With the ghosts of groin shots’ past no longer lingering, Henry is back on track and looking toward the future. While he didn’t present a callout after the bout, Henry wants to remain active in his ascent up the divisional ladder.
“As soon as anybody wants to see me again,” Henry said. “I’ve got a big nose and some big old ears, but hey. I’m down for it. I’ll go next week if they want me. … I’m not in the business of calling people out. I’d like to climb up that ladder, but the UFC is going to do what the UFC wants with me. That’s the way it is. If they want me to fight a gorilla in the back alley then, hey, let’s get at it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 55.
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