Ex-UFC fighter Dan Henderson endorses Chad Bianco for California governor, rips Newsom for state's issues

UFC fighter Dan Henderson told Fox News Digital he is endorsing Riverside Country Sheriff Chad Bianco for governor of California in 2026, citing Bianco's response to COVID-19 in 2020.

EXCLUSIVE: Former UFC fighter Dan Henderson officially endorsed Sheriff Chad Bianco for California governor in 2026, he told Fox News Digital. 

Bianco, the current police sheriff of Riverside County, is running as a Republican and led the field in an October poll by the University of California, Berkeley over Republican challenger Steve Hilton and Democratic frontrunner Katie Porter. 

Henderson said Bianco earned his support in 2020, when the sheriff famously refused to enforce the state's COVID-19 stay-at-home orders and mask mandates. 

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"It was kind of a blessing that he didn't shut everything down as long as we were being responsible with everything. I kind of admired how he handled that whole situation," Henderson said. 

"A lot of business owners would have went out of business, and maybe even worse, as far as losing a lot of the things that they had, had he shut all the business down like the governor wanted… It was more common sense, he didn't panic and think the world was going to end."

As a lifelong California resident, Henderson has dealt with certain difficulties in his home state in recent years under the leadership of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrats. Henderson said that while he plans to remain in California, he's seen many of his closest friends flee to Texas, Tennessee and Florida.

Henderson shared his biggest grievances.

Henderson drives a Grenadier, and said it takes about $100 to fill up his tank with current California gas prices. He wants to see the next governor take