UFC Fight Night Preview: Figueiredo vs Benavidez 2

UFC Fight Night Preview: Figueiredo vs Benavidez 2

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The UFC returns for its third event from Fight Island in Abu Dhabi as a new Flyweight champion will be crowned. Deviveson Figueiredo (18-1 9 KOs) takes on Joseph Benavidez (28-6 9 SUBs) in a rematch from their first showdown back in February.

 

These two are looking to settle a feud and claim their first taste of UFC gold as the new 125 lbs champion after former champion Henry Cejudo decided to retire. When they met in the octagon earlier this year on UFC Fight Night, it was supposed to be for the title. Unfortunately, Figueiredo missed weight by two and a half pounds, which made him ineligible to win the title if he won. The belt was still up for grabs for Benavidez; all he had to do was win. But after an accidental headbutt stunned Benavidez, Figueiredo was able to score the TKO win in the second round, thus keeping the title vacant.

So the rematch was set in hopes of finally crowning a new king of the division. For the Brazilian Figueiredo, this is a chance for him to continue his tear through the promotion. He’s 7-1 with five finishes in the UFC, he’s shown to have tremendous power, and is versatile in submissions as he has 6 for his career.

On July 11th, he tested positive once for COVID-19 but, his manager said that he initially tested positive for the virus two months ago and believes this current test is a false positive. He has been taking his mandatory tests while in Abu Dhabi to make sure he is cleared to go. He will be tested after the weigh-ins, and if all goes well, the fight will be on as scheduled.

 

For the savvy veteran Benavidez, this could be his last chance at claiming MMA gold. He’ll be 36 at the end of the month, has dealt with a slew of injuries through his career, and the UFC isn’t going to keep giving him title shots if he keeps failing. This will be his third attempt at capturing a UFC title. In the first go-around with Figueiredo, Benavidez won the first round reasonably easy.

It was the clash of heads that spelled the beginning of the end for him. He has a unique ability to move in and out and put together solid combinations. With his wrestling background and the experience of being in the cage with some of the best this sport has had to offer, he looks to win in what could be the last hoorah.

 

The UFC Flyweight division has been a tricky one since it came to be back in 2012 at UFC 152, which saw Benavidez come up short against Demetrious Johnson.

Despite the greatness of Johnson and his historic 11 straight title defenses, the division never seemed to get going fanwise. The division lacked enough depth like the others, and possibly due to how small the majority of the fighters within the division were (most come in under 5’6), it never seems to draw big numbers amongst the fans. Once Dana White announced that the company was looking to dump the division and move on, fans and fighters poured out their support to keep it around. Then Cejudo pulled off one of the greatest upsets when he dethroned Johnson at UFC 227.

 

With a new champion, a sense of fans and fighters wanting the division around, the UFC would delay their plans and see how things would play out. Fast forward to now, a new champion is to be named this Saturday, and either way, it will bring new possibilities going forward for what could be.

Could this be the beginning of a renaissance for the men’s 125 lbs division? With a new titleholder, will the interest remain going forward as we see fresh matchups? Time will tell, but first, Figueiredo and Benavidez will need to see who walks out the octagon Saturday with some new jewelry.

 

 

In the night’s co-main event, we have a Middleweight throw down between Jack Hermansson (20-5 11 KOs) and Kelvin Gastelum (15-5 6 KOs).

 

 

An exciting matchup as both fighters have proven to be heavy hitters and have faced some of the division’s top contenders. Both are looking to get back in the win column after losing their last outings in the cage. Going 4-1 in his previous five, Hermansson is looking to propel himself into a possible number 1 contenders spot within the 185 lbs division.

The 32-year-old from Sweden is ranked number 6. He’ll be looking to add another top name to his list of victims and see how the chips fall for who’s next in line for a shot at the champion.

The former Ultimate Fighter winner Kelvin Gastelum is looking to get back on his feet and avoid losing three fights in a row.

 

Always considered a dangerous threat to anyone in the division, a lack of consistency has hurt the California fighter as he has struggled with cutting issues, injuries, and just not being able to put together a string of impressive performances.

He is still young at 28 years old, but time waits for no one, and the last thing Gastelum wants to do is let his prime years slip away because he couldn’t put it all together. His wrestling, mixed with his power and in your face style, makes him a tough outing for anyone. Can he get a victory and get back in the divisions top 5? Or will he continue to slide down and become another middle of the pack “could’ve been great” fighter?

 

 

UFC Fight Night will air on ESPN Saturday night and once again, a new champion will be crowned. Another card full of exciting matchups will be on hand. Meet me here Sunday morning for the recap. The Franchise has you covered.

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-Kalani Lua – Franchise Sports Media

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