Point of interest: Giving the grappling another go
In the first round of their first encounter, we not only saw Figueiredo out-wrestle Benavidez, but we also witnessed the Brazilian bruiser pull out a slick submission catch within one of their scrambles.
Though the armbar attempt was certainly a legitimate threat, Benavidez did the right things to address and clear the submission attack as he kept the scramble going. Still, that exchange served as a proper warning shot for anyone who sleeps on the grappling diversity of Figueiredo.
Despite being more known for his striking threats on the feet, Figueiredo – who earned multiple grappling accolades during his time spent under Marajo Brothers Team – translates his power just fine in the grappling department.
More of a positional-based player, Figueiredo likes to apply himself both in the clinch and from topside, as he seems to take great pleasure in making his opposition feel his weight and strength. We saw a beautiful example of this in their first meeting when Figueiredo defended takedowns from the clinch, as he did a great job of breaking grips and framing off hips, not-so-subtly using his head to re-steer Benavidez towards the fence.
However, in Benavidez’s defense, he showed little-to-no discouragement in these tough spots, as the perennial top contender was able to separate and get right back on the clock.
Aside from the previously mentioned footwork and movement, Benavidez can be difficult to secure in a clinch due to his awareness of when and how to leave, as well as when to stay and play.
Sure, Figueiredo technically won what little wrestling and submission exchanges happened in their last encounter; I’m just still not sold on how willing he will be to give his neck in a takedown attempt or scramble considering Benavidez’s killer guillotine choke and acumen from the front-headlock position.
As far as ground striking goes, I do give a slight edge to Figueiredo for his ability to find slicing elbows from top or bottom. The potential problem, however, is that I’m not sure how easy Benavidez will be to hold in place.
One of the best scramblers this sport has seen throughout the past decade, Benavidez plays a beautiful high-risk, high-reward game that is fun to watch.
Similar to his original MMA mentor, Urijah Faber, Benavidez has no issue giving his back to get off of it whenever finding himself grounded.
Savvy from the turtle position, Benavidez is quick to establish an underhook for safety and smartly works for single-legs to reset whenever they become available. And when a fighter is slick enough to insert a hook and establish a legitimate back-take threat, Benavidez is quick to get gravity on his side by putting his opposition between him and the mat, as he diligently works out and turns into his foe (all while cleverly underhooking their leg to deny them leverage during the reversal).
If Figueiredo sells out on a guillotine or opts for any sort of takedown offense, he’ll still need to be on his best behavior and stay mindful of Benavidez’s strengths; otherwise, he may find himself slowly sinking in a special brand of flyweight quicksand as the rounds go on.
Next point of interest: Odds, opinion and prediction
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