Joseph Benavidez believes the accidental headbutt in his bout against Deiveson Figueiredo was the key factor in his TKO loss.
Benavidez took on Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant UFC flyweight championship on Feb. 29. The title was only on the line for Benavidez as he made weight, while Figueiredo didn’t. UFC Norfolk ended without a men’s flyweight title holder as Figueiredo earned the second-round TKO victory.
Benavidez Talks Headbutt In Figueiredo Bout
Benavidez spoke to MMAFighting.com‘s Damon Martin following his UFC Norfolk defeat. He expressed his belief that the headbutt is what led to the finish.
“The head butt was the end of the fight,” Benavidez said. “I didn’t go out. The finishing and coming up felt like a replay of sorts. I didn’t even know I got head butted because at that point you’re just rocked. You’re out of it. That was it. That’s the best I can say.
“You see a TKO happening and maybe it’s like ‘that uppercut rocked him!’ and then basically all he has to do is hit a target. That was me but that uppercut was the head butt.”
The good news for Benavidez is that UFC president Dana White has expressed his desire to book an immediate rematch for the flyweight gold. The bad news is, Benavidez has been hit with a 90-day medical suspension so he’ll have to wait for that second bout with Figueiredo. Perhaps it isn’t really bad news at all, however, as Benavidez will get some much-needed recovery time.
Despite missing weight, Figueiredo was promoted to the number one spot on the official UFC flyweight rankings with his victory over Benavidez. It’ll be interesting to see if White follows through on his plan to book Figueiredo vs. Benavidez II.
Do you think Joseph Benavidez can have a better performance in a rematch with Deiveson Figueiredo?
