UFC: Deiveson Figueiredo destroys Joe Benavidez to claim flyweight title

Brendan Bradford

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UFC: Deiveson Figueiredo destroys Joe Benavidez to claim flyweight title image

Deiveson Figueiredo has earned one of the most one-sided title fight victories in flyweight history, earning a first round submission victory over Joe Benavidez on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi. 

Figueiredo knocked Benavidez down three times, and looked close to securing a submission win on several occasions, before finally putting the American to sleep with a rear-naked choke with just 15 seconds remaining in the round. 

Only Benavidez's incredible survival instincts kept him in the bout as the relentless Figueiredo maintained the pressure. 

When it eventually did come, the finish was scary, with Benavidez's eyes rolling back in his head before referee Marc Goddard stopped the bout. 

Watch the finish here. 



A right hook to the top of the head after just 45 seconds signalled trouble for Benazidez and he spent the next minute and a half fending off RNC attempts on the mat. 

After scrambing back to his feet, Benavidez was sent to the canvas a second time courtesy of another right hand with 90 seconds left in the round. 

A third knockdown, off an overhand right from the powerful Figueiredo, floored Joe B again and led to the eventual finish. 

Figueiredo brutalised Benavidez with elbows from top position, before Benavidez gave up his back and was choked out. 

"I feel really good, I worked hard for this," the new flyweight champion said after the fight.  

"This is my time, I'm going to defend this belt and I'm going to be an active champion.

"I'm from the Amazon, so I'm used to growing up with wild animals and I think I got some of that from them. I use that in the Octagon. 

"I wanted to take this belt for my city and my region. I'm a UFC Champion."

Figueiredo had a terrible build-up to the fight, being forced to quarantine in Brazil before flying to Abu Dhabi. He then needed to quarantine in his hotel room on Yas Island - also known as Fight Island - for two days, only getting out hours before the weigh-ins.  

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"That's what I worked for. I've been saying I was going to finish it in the first round and I wanted to put the first submission on his record, and that's what happened," he said.

"It was a really long week. I was locked up in Sau Paulo for six days to prove I was COVID negative. I was in a hotel room again for two days here. 

"I'm a champion and I'm going to be a problem for anyone who comes at me."

Figueiredo is just the third flyweight champion in UFC history after Demetrious Johnson and Henry Cejudo. 

Cejudo moved up to claim the bantamweight belt last year and vacated the flyweight title in February. 

Figueiredo had the opportunity to claim the belt in February, but missed weight ahead of his bout with Benavidez. Despite winning, Figueiredo was ineligible to claim the belt. 

The loss is Benavidez's fourth title fight defeat, having lost his first encounter with Figueiredo, two flyweight championship fights to Johnson and a WEC bantamweight title fight to Dominic Cruz in 2010. 






 

Brendan Bradford