UFC Fight Night 169: 2nd round Knockout ends Flyweight Championship fight
It was heartbreak for Joseph Benavidez yet again in a title fight as he was finished by Brazilian flyweight Deiveson Figueiredo knocked out the multi-time title challenger in the second round. If you're a critic of the Flyweight division, take note of this fight because it was anything but that.
The general sentiment seemed to be that Benavidez deserved to win after being the only one of the two to make weight. Since Figueiredo missed weight, the UFC Flyweight Championship is officially vacant. Henry Cejudo's opinion of this will be interesting.
The first round was an intense one, with Benavidez nearly being submitted, but did brilliantly to get out of the situation. The rest of the round saw the two trade shots to the head and the body before the round ended.
The second round started with just as much intensity and there was an unintentional headbutt that saw Benavidez getting cut before a knockdown and a finish from the Brazilian Figueiredo.
Many consider this to be an anticlimactic finish due to an inconclusive Flyweight title picture, but in reality, UFC Norfolk ended up being one of the best overall cards in a long time, with 5/5 finishes on the main card.
We feel for Joseph Benavidez, who took it in stride but was understandably bitter and disappointed about the loss. As to what's next for the 125-pound division, we can't be sure. However, Figueiredo will likely be in the next fight. Will Benavidez get another crack at the title? Or was this his final opportunity?