Joseph Benavidez may have a tough time getting a third match-up against Demetrious Johnson.
“Mighty Mouse” is the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) flyweight title holder and he has been since Sept. 2012. Two of Johnson’s nine straight successful title defenses came against Benavidez.
In their first encounter, Johnson took a split decision over Benavidez to capture the 125-pound title. Over a year later, the two met again. This time, Johnson knocked out Benavidez in the first round.
Next month, Johnson will have a chance to tie Anderson Silva’s record for most successful consecutive UFC title defenses in the promotion’s history. His opponent will be Wilson Reis.
Speaking with MMAJunkie.com, Johnson said the demand for a third bout against Benavidez is low. So low in fact, that it doesn’t even have the approval of UFC President Dana White:
“There’s a side of you that feels bad, and there’s a side of you that doesn’t. What if he loses for a third time? Does he just retire from the division? What do you do with him? The UFC is all about making stars … I think they’re more about marketing and making stars and making compelling match-ups. Not a lot of people are calling for the Joseph Benavidez third rematch. Dana White told me to my face, ‘I don’t want to see it again. There’s nothing there.’”
