Defining Fights: UFC on ESPN+ 30’s Joseph Benavidez

MMA Junkie’s Simon Head takes a look back through the fights that helped define the career of UFC flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez.

Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ESPN+ 27 – Feb. 29, 2020

Benavidez’s latest shot at UFC gold ended in disaster after a turbulent fight week that saw his opponent, Deiveson Figueiredo, miss weight by 2.5 pounds for their flyweight title fight in Norfolk, Va.

It meant Figueiredo couldn’t win the belt on fight night, but Benavidez still could, and although the American had the edge in the stand-up exchanges early on, a clash of heads undid all of Benavidez’s good work.

The head clash briefly stunned Benavidez, and Figueiredo pounced, landing a body shot and a big right hand that dropped the UFC veteran. Figueiredo then finished the fight with ground strikes to score a big win, without capturing the title.

It means the belt remains vacant ahead of Saturday’s event on Yas Island, where Benavidez and Figueiredo will meet again in a bid to crown a new 125-pound champion at UFC on ESPN+ 30.

Watch Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo on UFC Fight Pass

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