Joseph Benavidez will be back in action at UFC 259 when he takes on another top flyweight contender in Askar Askarov.
Joseph Benavidez has been within reach of championship gold on four different occasions in the UFC, and each time he has come up short. Even prior to joining the UFC while still competing in the now-defunct WEC, Benavidez lost his only title shot in the promotion against Dominick Cruz, making him a total of 0-5 in Zuffa title shots. But after every loss, the aftermath has been the same: Benavidez putting his head down and driving forward to win after win.
After his most recent loss in a flyweight title fight against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Fight Night: Figuereido vs. Benavidez, Joseph Benavidez accepted that he may not receive a title shot ever again, but he did not want to go out on a loss. So he is once again looking to bounce back from a crucial loss by doing what he does most: win. And this time, he will look to do so against Askar Askarov in what may be his final fight.
Askar Askarov is currently one spot behind Joseph Benavidez in the flyweight rankings, with Askarov ranked at #3 in the world. While this may or may not be Joseph Benavidez’s retirement fight, it’s in many ways the opposite for Askarov, who will likely earn a title shot with a victory over Benavidez. Askarov is currently undefeated at 12-0-1, with the draw coming to current #1-contender Brandon Moreno. In his most recent bout, Askarov defeated Alexandre Pantoja via unanimous decision.
With the addition of this bout, the current UFC 259 lineup consists of the following bouts:
Joseph Benavidez vs. Askar Askarov
Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman
Maycee Barber vs. Alexa Grasso
Who do you think will win this flyweight bout between Askar Askarov and Joseph Benavidez?
