Former UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson admits to frequently fighting with a toothpick hidden in his mouth, considering it a bad habit.
Retired MMA fighter Benson Henderson has finally admitted to fighting with a toothpick in his mouth during his professional career. Henderson claims that it was simply a bad habit he developed after frequently keeping toothpicks from restaurants in his mouth. The unusual practice was first spotted during his 2012 title defense against Nate Diaz and continued throughout his octagon career. Henderson’s toothpick habit not only baffled fans and UFC officials but also raised questions about the safety of competing with a toothpick hidden in his mouth.
Remarkably, Henderson managed to carry on the practice without major incidents. Only once during his pre-UFC days did the toothpick habit result in a potentially dangerous situation. Henderson recalled a time when he went to surprise his mom at home, with a toothpick in his mouth. As he scared her, he laughed, swallowed the toothpick, and began choking on it. Fortunately, there was no permanent damage, and Henderson was able to continue without issues.
In 2022, Henderson, now a father of four, decided to give up the toothpick habit for good out of concern that his children might try to replicate it with harmful results. Instead, he began chewing gum more frequently, which he found to be an easy transition. Henderson admitted that the switch wasn’t as difficult as he had initially thought, and joked about now chewing gum way too much.