Deiveson Figueiredo hopes that he can finish Joseph Benavidez again, this time by submission.
Back in Feb. 2020, Figueiredo and Benavidez collided on a Fight Night card in Norfolk, Virginia. Figueiredo earned the second-round TKO victory. Figueiredo would’ve been recognized as the UFC flyweight champion with that victory but he missed weight so the title was only at stake for Benavidez,
Deiveson Figueiredo Wants Submission Victory Over Joseph Benavidez
Figueiredo and Benavidez will mix it up again on July 18. The two are once again scheduled to compete for the vacant UFC flyweight title, so Figueiredo will be looking to avoid another scale fail. He told Ag Fight that a huge feather in his cap would be to become the first man to submit Benavidez (h/t Bloody Elbow).
“He will hang his chin low, because he knows I’m an aggressive guy and I’ll look for the knockout again. I want to end this whole ‘never been finished by submission’ thing he has going. I’m going out there to submit him. I came close (to submitting Benavidez). Now it’s all about connecting my strikes and not letting him get away. I know he’s fast, explosive, but that’s my game, too. We own Brazilian jiu-jitsu, though, so we’re studying a way to stop him and control the position so he can’t escape a locked in submission.”
Figueiredo vs. Benavidez II will take place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Joining them on the July 18 card will be middleweights Kelvin Gastelum and Jack Hermansson. Gastelum vs. Hermansson will serve as the co-main event.
Keep it locked on MMA News for the latest on the UFC’s planned July 18 card in Abu Dhabi. We’ll be bringing you live coverage on fight night. Be sure to join us for live results, highlights, and post-fight tidbits.
