On Wednesday, reports surfaced that Benavidez (28-8) had been removed from both the UFC flyweight rankings and fan rankings. A few hours later, MMA Junkie was first to report that the four-time title challenger had retired from active competition. ESPN later added that he removed himself from the USADA testing pool.

Benavidez spoke to ESPN, the UFC’s official broadcast partner, about the decision.

“I kind of knew I wasn’t gonna fight, but I was just kind of letting it linger. You never know. But it’s just come to that point. These guys are killers,” Benavidez said.

“They’re all the guys I’m gonna fight next. All these killers coming in that would be my next fight are coming up to me and saying, ‘Dude, I have to take a picture with you. I used to come home from school and watch the WEC with my dad.’ That all feels really great to hear. But it’s not fun for me to fight a guy who tells me that. I don’t want to beat them up or for them to beat me up, either.”

Benavidez is a 26-fight UFC veteran and four-time UFC title challenger. He fought for the inaugural UFC Flyweight Championship against Demetrious Johnson; however, he lost that fight via split decision. He would rematch Johnson 15 months later after fighting his way back to the title only to wind up knocked out.

‘Joey B’ would go 9-1 over the next seven years and would challenge Deiveson Figueiredo for the vacant flyweight title in 2020. He would lose via TKO but get an immediate rematch because after his opponent missed weight— with a head butt landed in the fight also playing a factor. Five months later, Benavidez would be submitted in the first round. It was his final shot at gold, and Benavidez seemed to know it.

Joseph Benevidez’s wife Megan Olivi tweeted out her support Wednesday.

Retirement adventures are gonna be fun ☺️👑❤️ My King Forever @JoeJitsu

— Megan Olivi (@MeganOlivi) September 15, 2021

UFC president Dana White also spoke about Benavidez’s retirement in a statement to ESPN.

“Joe Benavidez has been a pillar of the lighter weight divisions for years,” White said. “Since joining WEC in 2008 and then UFC in 2011, he’s used his unstoppable pace and nasty guillotine to remain at the top of two divisions for 13 years. … His epic battles with [Dominick] Cruz, [Demetrious] Johnson, and [Henry] Cejudo will never be forgotten. He was a constant professional and carried himself in a way that demanded respect from his peers.”

Benavidez holds wins over Henry Cejudo, Ian McCall, Ali Bagautinov, Jussier Formiga, Eddie Wineland, Alex Perez, Tim Elliot, among many others.

We at Cageside Press wish Joseph Benavidez a happy retirement. He was an MMA pioneer for smaller fighters and a legend in more ways than one.

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For starters, if you ask Benavidez, he’ll tell you he’s had his final title shot in the UFC. After losing two title fights in 2020, both against Deiveson Figueiredo, Benavidez believes his title fight days are behind him. And he’s at peace with that. Instead, he’s fallen in love with the sport again, and wants to continue competing against the best of the best.

Enter Askarov. One of the new breed of UFC flyweights, Askarov entered the night on a two-fight win streak, with the only thing close to a blemish on his record being a draw with Brandon Moreno. Given where Moreno’s at these days, that draw has aged pretty well. But on the flip side, Askarov missed weight for Saturday’s contest by a single pound. Suddenly, what seemed like a title eliminator, for Askarov at least, had a question mark attached to it.

Askarov opened the affair with a front kick. Not long after, a right hand hit home on Benavidez. The front kick would come back again as well; Benavidez fired a right hand of his own, but he was already showing redness on the body from those kicks. Askarov’s right hand was also heavier, and definitely had Benavidez’s attention. The pair traded blows, but Askarov was winning the exchanges. In the final minute, Askarov landed a short punch, then took the back while Benavidez was still reacting. A big takedown followed, and Askarov finished the round with a body lock in place.

Benavidez was rocked early in the second thanks to a couple of right hands by Askarov. Though hurt, Benavidez tried a flying knee, which fell well short. Askarov then took his opponent down with authority. Askarov controlled from the back, with Benavidez firing back elbows. The veteran would make it back to his feet, but he wouldn’t stay standing for long. Askarov seemed to have all the answers, both on the feet and on the ground. While Benavidez did make it back to his feet late in the frame, the round finished with Askarov landing a crisp right hand.

By the third and final frame, Benavidez was keeping his hands low to defend the troublesome front kicks of Askarov. He also nearly landed a head kick, but Askarov just managed to avoid it. That missed kick summed up the night for Joseph Benavidez: he appeared to be a step behind. Benavidez would later block a high kick himself. A right hand landed for Benavidez that backed Askarov up, cementing the fact that the third round was the best for Joseph Benavidez. But with two rounds in his pocket, that really wasn’t a concern for Askarov, as Benavidez couldn’t find the finish. And in the end, all three frames were awarded to Askar Askarov.

Official Result: Askar Askarov def. Joseph Benavidez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)

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Yet here he is at UFC 259, taking on another top contender in Askar Askarov. So what’s keeping Joseph Benavidez going these days, if not the title?

“It was about fighting a guy still at the top, and Askar was the right opponent, being ranked number three,” Benavidez explained during this week’s UFC 259 media day, speaking to media outlets including Cageside Press. “The highest person I could fight that was not lined up [with another opponent].”

That’s not to say that everything was hunky-dory immediately after his submission loss to Figueiredo — his second loss to Brazilian in 2020.

Getting over that defeat, “it took me a while,” admitted Benavidez. Especially knowing that he likely wouldn’t fight for gold again. “It was tough, it was devastating. It was weird — my first title fight ever was probably still my hardest acceptance, because I really had nothing to fall back on, I was so young.”

Benavidez’s first UFC title bout came in 2012, against Demetrious Johnson, a fight that ended in a split decision (he’d also dropped a split decision to Dominick Cruz for the WEC bantamweight title in 2010). Back then, he said, “I wasn’t anywhere near complete as a person, to the point where that was all I thought I was worth, was being this and that. That is where all my self-worth came from.”

With the Figueiredo fights last year, “it was annoying the way that first one ended.” That saw a head butt set up a controversial finish at UFC Norfolk. The second, well, “this one was clean, cut and dry. Obviously you’re still mad,” said Benavidez, “but it’s still normal things you deal with.”

“The fact that it was probably my last title shot, that was kind of the hardest part,” he added. Still, the veteran flyweight says he’s fallen in love with the sport again. “Now I just need to fight because it’s fun, I’m challenging myself, and proving to myself I can still fight at the top. So I need a guy at the top, and Askar was perfect.”

There’s a lot going on with Joseph Benavidez outside of the cage as well. For one, he has a new podcast, At Home with Benalivi, alongside wife Megan.

“I think there’s a point of obsession, to success in anything,” suggested Benavidez, in a virtual media scrum following his in-person appearance. But, as he’s gotten further into his career, the flyweight star has come to realize that “at the end of the day, you need balance as well.” That’s where things like his movie reviews, podcast with wife Megan Olivi, and Dapper Scrappers come in. Which is a far cry from how things were earlier in his career.

“When I first started fighting, I didn’t have a social life. I remember moving to California and I feel like I didn’t get laid for like a year. And I didn’t even care, because I was just working and training and knowing I was gonna succeed at something, just pretty much living in the gym all day,” Benavidez recalled. Apologizing for being “piggish,” Benavidez admitted that for over a year, he didn’t really talk to a girl, let alone do anything with one. Without event realizing it.

“I just didn’t care. Therefore, the balance through time has gotten better,” he continued. “The last fight was very devastating as far as a loss. And the first fight with Demetrius Johnson was a split decision loss, and that was a little more devastating as far as getting over. And when I look back at it, the big reason is, because when I lost that first fight against Demetrius Johnson, that was all I had, was being a fighter. Right? That was all my whole self worth relied on— being the best, being the champion.”

Joseph Benavidez faces Askar Askarov at UFC 259 on Saturday, March 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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The main event, a champ vs. champ battle between middleweight king Israel Adesanya and his light heavyweight counterpart Jan Blachowicz, promised a contrast in styles. Speed versus power. The co-main event saw featherweight champ Amanda Nunes looking to continue growing her legacy against arguably the last contender left at 145lbs, Megan Anderson. Nunes, already to consensus pick for the women’s GOAT, had a chance to clean out the (however small) division.

And because two title fights aren’t enough for big UFC cards these days, a third was set, with Petr Yan due to defend his 135lb belt for the first time, opposite Aljamain Sterling.

Ex-bantamweight champ Dominick Cruz was also set to compete, against MMA Lab product Casey Kenney, in the biggest fight of his career to date. Multi-time flyweight title challenger Joseph Benavidez was scheduled as well.

Tune in Friday starting at 12PM ET for full results from the UFC 259 weigh-ins. The event takes place Saturday, March 6 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Only one fighter missed weight on Friday — flyweight Askar Askarov. Coming in 1lb over the 126lb non-title fight limit, he did not make a second attempt to weigh in.

UFC 259: Blachowicz vs. Adesanya Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Light Heavyweight: Jan Błachowicz (c) (205) vs. Israel Adesanya (200.5) – for the UFC light heavyweight championship
Women’s Featherweight: Amanda Nunes (c) (145) vs. Megan Anderson (144.5) – for the UFC women’s featherweight championship
Bantamweight: Petr Yan (c) (135) vs. Aljamain Sterling (134.5) – for the UFC bantamweight championship
Lightweight: Islam Makhachev (156) vs. Drew Dober (156)
Light Heavyweight: Thiago Santos (206) vs. Aleksandar Rakic (206)

Preliminary card (ESPN / ESPN+ / TSN)

Bantamweight: Dominick Cruz (136) vs. Casey Kenney (136)
Bantamweight: Song Yadong (135.5) vs. Kyler Phillips (136)
Flyweight: Joseph Benavidez (125.5) vs. Askar Askarov (127)*
Flyweight: Rogério Bontorin (126) vs. Kai Kara-France (125.5)

Early preliminary card (ESPN+ / UFC Fight Pass)

Flyweight: Tim Elliott (125.5) vs. Jordan Espinosa (126)
Light Heavyweight: Kennedy Nzechukwu (205.5) vs. Carlos Ulberg (205)
Welterweight: Sean Brady (170.5) vs. Jake Matthews (169.5)
Women’s Strawweight: Lívia Renata Souza (116) vs. Amanda Lemos (116)
Lightweight: Uros Medic (156) vs. Aalon Cruz (155)
Bantamweight: Mario Bautista (135.5) vs. Trevin Jones (134.5)

Light Heavyweight: Glover Teixeira (204.5) – main event backup

* Askarov misses weight by 1lbs

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Taking place March 6, 2021, the flyweight match-up was first reported by MMA Junkie and Igor Lazonin (Tass.ru).

The bout will serve as a tough bounce back fight for former title challenger, Benavidez (28-7). With the flyweight division wheels turning, Benavidez vs. Askarov should provide further clarity in the division. Although Benavidez has always remained a potent force in the 125lb weight class, he will put his spot on the line against the unbeaten Russian, Askarov (12-0-1).

Five-time title challenger Benavidez (including a bantamweight shot in the WEC) may go down in history as one of the best UFC fighters to never wear gold. Now 36-years old, Benavidez fought for the inaugural UFC flyweight title against Demetrious Johnson, losing both that fight and an eventual rematch. Benavidez would fight for the vacant flyweight title twice in 2020 as well. However in his way, the aggressive Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo would prove to be a nightmare match-up. In their first outing at UFC Norfolk back in February, Figueiredo ultimately came out on top, but a clash of heads would leave doubt in the viewers’ eyes. In addition to that, Figueiredo missed weight and was ineligible to receive the title after a second round TKO win.

In their second bout, on UFC Fight Island in July, Benavidez lost via rear naked choke, and Figueiredo captured the flyweight title without controversy.

Part of the new wave of flyweight fighters, Askarov will look to capitalize against one of the biggest opponents of his career. Considering his ground work, this should be a tough test for both competitors. Barring a draw to the soon-to-compete flyweight contender Brandon Moreno, Askarov has looked near-perfect in the UFC.

In addition to this bout, the lineup for UFC 259 looks as follows:

Aleksandar Rakic vs. Thiago Santos
Uroš Medić vs. Aalon Cruz
Randy Costa vs. Trevin Jones
Joseph Benavidez vs. Askar Askarov

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The pair competed for the vacant 125-pound championship left behind by Henry Cejudo. Back in February, Figueiredo actually finished Benavidez in a fight that was supposed to crown the flyweight champion. However, Figueiredo missed weight and was ineligible to win the title. As it so happened, Figueiredo ended up finishing Benavidez in the contest shortly after a headbutt. Ensuring at least some controversy surrounded the finish.

Saturday night, Figueiredo’s power proved to be too much for Benavidez to handle, as he was dropped three times in the first round. Benavidez was in trouble early with three deep rear-naked choke attempts. Somehow, Benavidez escaped from all three. However, as the round came to a close, Figueiredo again hurt Benavidez with his power, bloodying him on the mat with ground-and-pound, before locking in an even deeper rear-naked choke. Benavidez refused to tap out, and instead went unconscious.

Now, Figueiredo is the new king of the UFC’s 125-pound division. A division that just over a year ago seemed to be on life support has managed to put on a couple of extremely exciting title fights already this year.

Check out how the pros reacted to the lopsided performance from Figueiredo here below:

😢😢

— James Vick (@JamesVickMMA) July 19, 2020

Wow Figiueredo crushed him!!! Damn

— Funky 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@Benaskren) July 19, 2020

Wtf that ref waiting for ?? 😡😡

— JIMI MANUWA (@POSTERBOYJM) July 19, 2020

Pure savagery from Figueiredo from start to finish! We officially have a new Flyweight Champ 👏🏻👏🏻

Hard to see Joe B go down like that 🥺 #UFCFightIsland2

— Megan Anderson (@MeganAnderson) July 19, 2020

Ahh man. Gutted Joey B. Ref gave him his chances to stay in the fight as well. #UFCFightIsland2 #TheWeeklyScraps

— Aljamain Sterling (@funkmasterMMA) July 19, 2020

Brutal finish by Figueiredo #UFCFightIsland

— Rafael dos Anjos (@RdosAnjosMMA) July 19, 2020

Omg!!!!! Holy $h$$ ! Man, Joe just wouldn’t give up. Joe 😢 #UFCFightIsland2

— Tatiana Suarez (@tatianaufc) July 19, 2020

https://twitter.com/MannyGamburyan/status/1284673721769144322

Fuck. #UFCFightIsland2

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) July 19, 2020

Dang, that was hard to watch. ☹️ Figueiredo was on point tonight, wow! Just too many fundamental mistakes on the feet from Joe that we’re unfortunately never rectified.

— Kenny Florian (@kennyflorian) July 19, 2020

Man, feel terrible for Joe B

— Funky 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@Benaskren) July 19, 2020

Fegueiredo is the real deal! #UFCFightIsland2

— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) July 19, 2020

https://twitter.com/dillondanis/status/1284673978569838598

Wow! @Daico_Deiveson with the hot hands to the choke out. So intent on the finish. Well done. #UFCFightIsland2

— Alpha Cat Zingano (@CatZingano) July 19, 2020

Jesus, what a tough bastard Benividez is, Figueiredo is a monster. #UFCFightIsland2

— Angela Hill (@AngieOverkill) July 19, 2020

#AndNew @Daico_Deiveson wow what a performance 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🇧🇷🇧🇷🇧🇷 #UFCFightIsland2

— GILBERT BURNS DURINHO (@GilbertDurinho) July 19, 2020

Congrats 🍾 to the second interim UFC champ this week @deivesonfigueiredo #UFCFightIsland2

— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) July 19, 2020

Your still a legend joe b

— Demetrious Johnson (@MightyMouse) July 19, 2020

Damn gutted for joe, really would have like to see him do it. @ufc

— Ray Borg (@tazmexufc) July 19, 2020

Impressive from figueiredo. I mean, wow. So sad for Benavidez though. #UFCFightIsland2

— Sarah Kaufman (@mmasarah) July 19, 2020

I’ve always considered @JoeJitsu to be a mentor of mine ever since the TUF days. Very thoughtful man that always shares his knowledge and gives sound advice. Keep your head up Joe, we love you. #UFCFightIsland2

— Michael Chiesa (@MikeMav22) July 19, 2020

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UFC Fight Island 2 on Saturday night was a redemption story. The question was, whose redemption would it be?

On the one hand, you had Deiveson Figueiredo. Whether you believed he was the champion without the belt, he had certainly defeated Joseph Benavidez in their original meeting at UFC Norfolk earlier this year. Of course, there were asterisks. No belt, due to missing weight. A clash of heads that seemed to rock his opponent before the finish.

He was looking to come away with a clean win Saturday night, and silence his doubts. Joseph Benavidez, meanwhile, was looking for redemption of his own. After seeing title shot after title shot in the WEC and UFC, only to come up empty handed, Saturday was likely his last shot at gold.

All the marbles, and the UFC’s vacant flyweight title, were on the line. Figueiredo started the first round off with a front kick to the body, but Benavidez fired back a pair of leg kicks in response. A huge right hook from Figueiredo dropped Benavidez immediately and Figueiredo pounced on him for the ground-and-pound. After a huge elbow, Figueiredo took the back and worked for the rear-naked choke. Benavidez was able to escape from two different attempts before Figueiredo got one right under the neck. Benavidez miraculously escaped that one as well and got back to his feet with Figueiredo in the back clinch.

Benavidez separates from the clinch and they’re striking again. They exchanged some shots inside the clinch, before Figueiredo dropped Benavidez with a clean uppercut. Another huge overhand from Figueiredo dropped Benavidez, and Figueiredo gets full mount before unleashing some nasty ground-and-pound. A deep rear-naked choke from Figueiredo and Benavidez passes out. That’s it.

#AndNew! 🏆 No questions remain.@Daico_Deiveson is your flyweight champion.#InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi | #UFCFightIsland2 pic.twitter.com/lMoMPZvdsr

— UFC (@ufc) July 19, 2020

A stunning victory by Figueiredo, and a heartbreaking defeat for Benavidez. But it was the Brazilian who found his redemption on Saturday.

Official Result: Deiveson Figueiredo def. Joseph Benavidez via R1 submission (rear-naked choke, 4:48)

The post UFC Fight Island 2 Results: Deiveson Figueiredo Destroys Joseph Benavidez To Win Vacant Flyweight Title appeared first on Cageside Press.

That fight would see Deiveson Figueiredo run it back with Joseph Benavidez, following the pair’s first meeting at UFC Norfolk in February.

As is well-known by now, Brazil’s Figueiredo missed weight for the fight. Leaving him ineligible to win the title vacated by Henry Cejudo. However, Figueiredo went ahead and knocked out Joseph Benavidez anyway, technically a TKO in the second round, which came after a clash of heads.

How would things go the second time around? In a sense, Benavidez was given a mulligan, and a chance to redeem himself. The longtime veteran had been always the bridesmaid, never the bride in title fights dating all the way back to his WEC days. Could he turn things around on Saturday, or would history repeat itself — with Deiveson Figueiredo having successfully hit championship weight this time around?

Following the event, tune in for the UFC Fight Island 2 post-fight press conference. You can watch the video above. The kickoff time is expected to be 11:15PM ET, subject to change based on the length of tonight’s card.

The post UFC Fight Island 2 Post-Fight Press Conference Live Stream appeared first on Cageside Press.

Seek flyweight finishes and God of War Deiveson Figueiredo shall provide ⚔️ #UFCNorfolk pic.twitter.com/sWrFafouVR

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 27, 2020

The road to Fight Island for Deiveson Figueiredo was fraught with so many pitfalls that many believed he simply would not make it to the fight. After having a false positive test for COVID-19 roughly a week out from the fight, his road to Saturday night was almost over before he even left Brazil.  Questions about his ability to make weight for the bout were so concerning that the UFC booked another top contender in Alexandre Pantoja just in case there was any issue.  It has led to a fight week change-up of epic proportions, to the point that Benavidez has already completed his mandatory 48 hour quarantine in his hotel room well ahead of Figueiredo.

That said, Figueiredo is the fighter going into Saturday night who got the job done inside the Octagon in the first fight.  That February meeting ended with Figueiredo’s hand raised, but no belt was wrapped around his waist due to missing weight.  It left a mark on his reputation that erased the fact that he had posted a 6-1 record in the UFC that includes wins over the aforementioned Pantoja, Tim Elliott, and John Moraga.  While the story going into the fight is how he will deal with all of the added scrutiny, he can erase all doubt should he notch an impressive victory over Benavidez without controversy.

Absolute masterclass 👏

Look🔙 at how @JoeJitsu sealed his title shot. #UFCNorfolk pic.twitter.com/QIYEspLXez

— UFC (@ufc) February 24, 2020

Joseph Benavidez has admitted that this is “definitely” his last shot at a UFC belt.  His pursuit of championship gold is well-chronicled as he had four attempts to claim either UFC or WEC gold thwarted in the last decade.  Many figure gold would have long been around his waist had he competed at another time in MMA history as his only losses in title fights (prior to this year) came against all-time greats in Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson.  As his turn on Fight Island approaches, there is a growing narrative over his career about whether or not he will join the list of the greatest fighters to never win a UFC title.

Lost in the story is exactly how great Benavidez has been for more than a decade.  Outside of Cruz and Johnson, his only other losses came to Sergio Pettis and Figueiredo.  Dating back to his days of the WEC where he first fought Dominick Cruz in 2009, Benavidez has been a perennial title challenger at both bantamweight and flyweight with victories over the likes of Miguel Torres, Jussier Formiga, John Moraga, Tim Elliott, and Henry Cejudo.  Even as the flyweight division looks to complete its turnover, Benavidez remains as the top ranked contender behind his current body of work and years of consistency.

Stylistically, the explosiveness and grappling of Figueiredo will look to pose bigger problems than before for Benavidez after having been successful in the first matchup.  The Brazilian contender should look to keep the fight at mid-range and work behind crisp boxing.  Benavidez should look to use feints and push forward into close range where a brawl favors his style.  Whether unloading with short punches or initiating the clinch to work for a takedown, Benavidez’s physicality will serve him best against the fence.

RUN IT BACK! 🏆@Daico_Deiveson vs @JoeJitsu

📺 Prelims on ESPN / E+ | Main Card on E+ #InAbuDhabi | @VisitAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/ELl8gRfyrv

— UFC (@ufc) July 17, 2020

The night is set up for the victor to likely face the winner of Alexandre Pantoja and Askar Askarov who will fight earlier in the evening.  Considering that the division was still considered near life-support back when the two fought in February, the level of activity in the weight class lends support to the idea that the division is indeed here to stay as contenders like Pantoja, Askarov, and Brandon Moreno continue to make their way up the rankings.

The post UFC Fight Island 2: Redemption for Both Figueiredo and Benavidez appeared first on Cageside Press.

The pair battle, again, for the vacant flyweight title atop this weekend’s card in Abu Dhabi. It’s a rematch of their UFC Norfolk bout, where Figueiredo missed weight, finished Benavidez, and left the title vacant due to that weight miss.

“I wish we didn’t have to do a rematch and I would have just finished it there,” Benavidez told Cageside Press during the virtual media day for UFC Fight Island 2. But that’s not what happened. A clash of heads left Benavidez rocked in Norfolk. A right hand then connected. The TKO came moments later.

Still, the Norfolk loss “makes it sweeter in a way to go in there and get the redemption. It’s obviously great that it lined up with Fight Island and I get to experience this.”

After any loss, there are adjustments to be made. For Benavidez, ahead of this weekend’s rematch, most of that was on the technical, tactical side.

“A lot of it is technical. Mentally, my preparation and everything leading up to [the UFC Norfolk fight] was, if you heard any of my interviews and just kind of what I felt there, I never felt better in that regard,” he recalled. “I mean, it was literally perfect for me. That part of it was perfect. When people say they have the best camp and preparation of their life and stuff, they typically just say that. I can point to two camps that I had the best preparation and that was one of them.”

“So in that regard, it wasn’t a lot of changing but tactically you do get some data from the fight, and what it feels like to be in there with him,” Benavidez continued. “I have great coaches so I let them handle that more so and don’t try to obsess on it and just try to get better than I was the last time. And listen to what they tell me as far as the changes that they think we should make.”

As to what winning the belt on Fight Island would mean to Benavidez, after flirting with the championship for so long, Benvidez replied that “winning the belt in the UFC is a dream for every single person that walks into an MMA gym. So for me it’s been a life-long, up-and-down, bumpy journey with a lot of adversity in between it. So, I mean you can’t put into words, honestly, what it would feel like. Dedicating your life to something, and having it hit the highest highs of it but also having it ripping your heart out then finally getting it. I don’t know how it’s going to feel.”

Especially, said Benavidez, given that winning the belt doesn’t mean “I’m done, and I arrived,” since “there’s still something else to do” — defending that belt, in other words.

Watch the full UFC Fight Island 2 virtual media day press scrum with Joseph Benavidez above.

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