Point of interest: Odds and opinions

The oddsmakers and public are siding with the Brazilian this time around, listing Figueiredo -220 and Benavidez +180 as of this writing.

Considering that I gave Figueiredo the first round of their first fight, then I can totally understand a betting spread that has the Brazilian favored.

Figueiredo has long been a dark horse whom I’ve had my eye on (as I’m still convinced that he’s destined to do battle with Petr Yan at bantamweight sometime down the line), so seeing him win this fight and/or the last one is not something that should surprise anyone.

Nevertheless, despite the last result, I still think that the dynamic of this fight remains the same: If Benavidez can get past the power of Figueiredo in the first couple of rounds, then his deeper well of both tools and experience should serve him well.

Now, given the arguable momentum Figueiredo had in the first fight, I can’t blame anyone for following history and siding with the winning (as well as the younger) party to win the second time around. That said, before the controversial head butt happened, you could also argue that Benavidez demonstrated the ability to take multiple hard counters from Figueiredo and showed little-to-no signs of discouragement, as he got right back on the game plan like the veteran he is.

I’d be lying if I denied the fact that a little bias is probably bleeding into this pick, but I believe that Benavidez’s pace and bodywork will have even more play this time around given the rigorous travel schedule and pressure-filled weight cut that Figueiredo has had to put himself through. So, for that reason, I’ll reluctantly side with Benavidez surviving the early storm to either find a finish late or out-point the Brazilian on the scorecards.

Prediction: Benavidez by decision

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