NFL
By: Julio Olmo
After making a successful debut on Fight Island on Saturday, July 11th…UFC returns from Abu Dhabi for a third time this Saturday.
Deiveson Figueiredo is looking to stop Joseph Benavidez again, but this time he wants to make history in the process.
Figueiredo knocked Benavidez in their first meeting back in February however, was not crowned champion due to missing weight at The Weigh-In.
It’s been a very bumpy road for Figueiredo lately. He tested positive for COVID-19 when was in Sao Paulo, Brazil and it pushed back his planned flight to Abu Dhabi as he was forced into a two-day quarantine.
Figueiredo was finally cleared to board a flight to UFC Fight Island after his second COVID test came back negative.
He is definitely no stranger to adversity and this Saturday will be his fifth career rematch.
Figueiredo’s previous win over Benavidez only has an asterisk next to it due to the weight miss – Plus!, he stopped Benavidez in violent fashion in the second round, but it was after a prior decisive blow when the two men clashed heads.
Benavidez clearly came off worse, with a bad cut to the forehead and it’s probably fair to suggest that the knockout never would’ve happened without it, but Deus Da Guerra sounds very confident that he’s going to correct all the wrongs from their first encounter in Norfolk, Virginia.
“Not making Weight-In the UFC was due to errors that I personally committed regarding my diet,” Figueiredo said. “I arrived much heavier than I should have…when I came back home, I reflected on my mistakes…You can be sure I’ll always make weight in all my future bouts…I’ll be on weight for this rematch against Benavidez, so I can capture the belt that’s rightfully mine.”
The big question here is what kind of adjustments Benavidez can make from the first fight. It’s true that the clash of heads led directly to him being knocked out, but it wasn’t like he was winning the fight prior to that moment, anyway.
Ever since Henry Cejudo vacated the flyweight belt, the weight class has been looking for a legitimate champion.
Thankfully, the UFC has done the simple thing here and just rematch the two of them.
Although Figueiredo has taken the road less traveled, the Brazilian will get another chance at the scales in the rematch with Benavidez for the crown.
🏝️ The vacant flyweight belt is on the line — again — at #UFCFightIsland2, in a rematch between Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez.
Even getting to Abu Dhabi has been an adventure for Figueiredo and, as @arielhelwani explains, it's still on-going. pic.twitter.com/NFLwSAfrb8
— Phil Murphy © (@Phil_Sports) July 16, 2020
Middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Jack Hermansson are the co-headliners.
Both coming off losses are looking to reverse their recent bad fortunes and remain contenders in their division.
OTHER FEATURED BOUT: ALEXANDRE PANTOJA vs. ASKAR ASKAROV
