Simon Samano: Joseph Benavidez vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2
Let’s not get confused about the question here. We’re not asking what the “best” or “most compelling” title fight is. What we’re specifically asking is, which fight has the greatest stakes? When you look at it that way, it’s pretty clear that no fighter is facing more pressure than [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] entering his flyweight title rematch with [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag].
Why? It’s simple. Benavidez turns 36 later this month. For all intents and purposes, this is Benavidez’s last chance to remove his name from a list no fighter wants to be part of – greatest fighters to never win a UFC title.
Benavidez has put together a remarkable career that began in 2006, beating some of the best among the lighter divisions at bantamweight and flyweight, including former UFC dual champion Henry Cejudo before he became “Triple C.” But Benavidez never won UFC gold in three previous tries and before that failed in his lone WEC 135-pound title shot vs. Dominick Cruz.
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Being on the list of greatest fighters to never win a UFC title means living with a sobering reality that you were good but not good enough.
And think about this even further in terms of the pressure Benavidez must be feeling: He lost to Figueiredo last year by second-round TKO in their first encounter. Losing a second time will hurt, but it will hurt even more knowing he lost four total UFC title fights to just two men (he twice came up short against Demetrious Johnson).
Mike Bohn went with Alexander Volkanovski vs. Max Holloway for his pick, citing the box Holloway would be in if he lost an immediate rematch. And that’s fair, but the difference is that Holloway is 28 and just about to enter his prime. If he loses, as much as it would hurt his career, he has time on his side.
Benavidez, quite frankly, does not. For that reason, it raises the stakes so much more for his title fight with Figueiredo.
It’s now or never to reach the pinnacle of his career and become UFC champion.