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The vacant UFC men’s flyweight title is at stake.
The vacant UFC men’s flyweight title will be on the line in July, and maybe this time we’ll have a champion crowned.
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn reported on Friday that a rematch between Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo is lined up for July 18th, although nothing has been finalized just yet. These two fought for the belt in February (following Henry Cejudo’s departure from the division), but Figueiredo’s failure to make weight meant that the title could only be won by Benavidez, and he didn’t win.
Benavidez (28-6) is considered one of the best fighters to never win a major MMA title. He lost by split decision to Dominick Cruz for the WEC bantamweight championship, had another split decision go against him vs. Demetrious Johnson for the inaugural UFC flyweight title, was knocked out by Johnson in the rematch, and was TKO’d by Figueiredo, which came seconds after an accidental clash of heads. Prior to the Figueiredo defeat, Benavidez had an impressive three-fight winning streak that included stoppages of Alex Perez and Jussier Formiga.
Figueiredo (18-1) is known for his exciting style, very much living up to his “God of War” nickname. For a division that doesn’t have a high rate of finishes, the Brazilian has recorded stoppages in five of his seven UFC victories, including a guillotine choke of Tim Elliott and a TKO of John Moraga. His lone loss came via decision against Jussier Formiga back in March of 2019. The weight mishap against Benavidez marked the first time that he’d ever failed to make the 125 lbs limit, so ideally that doesn’t happen again and both men will be eligible to win the championship when the rematch occurs.
No venue or location has been named for this event, but it will likely air on an ESPN platform.