UFC Champ Benson Henderson Preparing for Nate Diaz by Enduring Plenty of Trash Talk

UFC champ Benson Henderson preparing for Nate Diaz by enduring plenty of trash talk
by Matt Erickson on Nov 21, 2012 at 12:45 pm ET

The super-polite way to put it would be to say Nate Diaz likes to try to get in his opponents' head.

And then there's what Benson Henderson was a little more blunt in calling it: Diaz likes to talk crap.

To get ready to defend his UFC lightweight title against Diaz (16-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) next month, Henderson (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) has been training using a steady diet of trash talk from his teammates.

Henderson puts his title on the line for a second time when he defends against top contender Diaz in the main event of UFC on FOX 5, which takes place Dec. 8 at KeyArena in Seattle. The four-fight main card airs on FOX.

Henderson on Monday told AXS TV's "Inside MMA" that a specific part of his training for the brash Diaz is preparing for the verbal warfare his opponent is sure to bring to the table.

"The biggest thing I've had a hard time with so far, to be honest, is we've been having my teammates talk a little bit of trash inside the octagon and have me stay calm and not be worked up," Henderson said. "I actually have a hard time with that. Somebody talks trash to me, I want to talk trash back. I get emotional back to them. So, I've been working on staying calm and collected and still do my technique and not fall into his game.

"I've got to get a little more work on that, though."

For that work, he now has less than three weeks before the fight. The oddsmakers believe the fight with Diaz to be a close one, making Henderson just a 1.5-to-1 favorite over the Californian.

Close fights, at least on paper, have been something of a hallmark of Henderson's career in Zuffa with the WEC and UFC. And this one could wind up being yet another close five-round war like he has had in back-to-back fights against Frankie Edgar, first to win the title in February and then to defend it in August.

Henderson, of course, also is preparing for Diaz's physical attributes and a game that includes not just a dangerous ground game, but perhaps the lightweight division's best boxing.

"We're definitely trying to prepare for his physical tools, his long reach, his boxing style that he has," Henderson said.

But more than anything, it sounds like the physical work in the cage is something Henderson has confidence in, and the verbal sparring is not being underestimated.

"My teammates, Efrain Escudero and Joe Riggs, were told by my coaches to talk crap and to say not very nice things to me," he said. "I don't like it. But they're told to talk crap to me, and I'm supposed to not get lured into that game and do something I'm not supposed to do. I'm supposed to stay calm and collected and implement my game plan.

"I've been having a hard time with that, but hopefully, we get that taken care of, and come fight night, I won't allow any of that trash talking to get into my head and affect my game."

Since 2007, Henderson's only loss was a close decision defeat at the hands – and foot – of Anthony Pettis at WEC 53, where he surrendered his lightweight title at the promotion's final event. Since then, he's won five straight, all in the UFC, including a pair of "Fight of the Night" bonuses. Diaz has won three straight since returning to the lightweight division with a pair of "Submission of the Night" wins and a "Fight of the Night," as well. In all, Diaz has a staggering 10 UFC bonus awards in his 16 fights with the company.