UFC Norfolk: Deiveson Figueiredo finishes Joseph Benavidez for second-round TKO

Mark Lelinwalla

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UFC Norfolk: Deiveson Figueiredo finishes Joseph Benavidez for second-round TKO image

Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo exchanged fireworks in an all-action first round Saturday.

Then came an unintentional butting of the heads in the second round. Seconds later, their fight was over.

Benavidez had blood instantly gushing out of his head from the clash, and Figueiredo took advantage by pressing the action. He rocked Benavidez with a punishing right hand that dropped "Joe Jitsu" to the mat with a thud. A few hammerfists later, the referee stepped in to give Figueiredo a second-round TKO at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Va.

Early in the first round, Benavidez survived an armbar attempt and then retaliated by throwing everything in his might as he did everything in his power to take the frame. That fiery output made the accidental head clash all the more unfortunate because it was clear it did major damage to Benavidez.

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It was a solid win for Figueiredo but also a tough loss for Benavidez, to say the least.

Co-main event: Felicia Spencer flattens Zarah Fairn in first-round TKO; women's featherweights

Absolutely savage. Spencer trapped Fairn in a ground-and-pound and then unloaded with a barrage of punches that lasted entirely too long before the referee ended it. Just like that, Spencer answered Megan Anderson's first-round TKO of Norma Dumont from earlier in the card to further her chances of getting a shot against featherweight champion Amanda Nunes. That said, "The Lioness" is ready for either fighter.

Mark Lelinwalla

Mark Lelinwalla Photo

Mark Lelinwalla is a contributing writer and editor for DAZN News. He has written for the likes of the New York Daily News, Men's Health, The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Complex, XXL and Vibe Magazine.