So as you guys already know, UFC Flyweight contenders Joe Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo previously fought for the vacant title after former champion Henry Cejudo decided to vacate it.
Their fight took place on February 29, 2020, with Figueiredo winning by sceond-round TKO. All good, champion decided right?
Except that Figueiredo missed weight, and was ineligible to win the championship in that fight. Quite literally the worst possible outcome for the fight. So of course, the title was still vacant, and people assumed a rematch would take place, again for the title.
Well, it seems their rematch will soon take place. A UFC insider told MMA Junkie that the fight is currently being scheduled for July 18, although it hasn’t been finalized or officially announced by the UFC. Of course, the fight will be for the (still) vacant Flyweight title.
This is an interesting decision by the UFC, given Figueiredo missed weight. I mean sure, he won the fight, but can we be sure that Figuieredo is able to make the weight this time? According to a post-weigh in interview, he said that he felt sick during the weight cut and called his nutritionist, who told him to stop cutting weight.
It’s just mind-boggling to me that Figueiredo makes weight consistently with no issue for his first 18 fights, and suddenly misses weight when a title is on the line.
It makes me less interested in seeing Figueiredo as champion, because these are mishaps that the Flyweight division simply can’t afford. If Figueiredo had made weight, we could be seeing a fight between him and Brandon Moreno right now.
Regardless, Figueiredo seems to have been in good spirits after his win, despite not taking home a belt. The Instagram post below probably gives you a good idea of how he’s feeling…
I mean sure, the video is funny or whatever. But it is a well known fact that the Flyweight division has been on the brink of extinction since the departure of Demetrious Johnson. And without a showman like Cejudo to represent the division, the very least we could get is an undisputed champion. Is that too much to ask?
I just get the impression that Figueiredo is not taking this issue seriously. It almost seems as if he doesn’t care that he missed weight, even claiming that he was the “real” champion after the fight, despite his weight issues.
Like I said, I just need someone to be the representative of the Flyweight division. The last time we saw an undisputed flyweight champion in the Octagon was back in January 19, 2019, when Cejudo beat up TJ Dillashaw in 32 seconds.
The Flyweight division hasn’t had a defending champion since then, which can’t be good for business. Either way, I just hope this thing gets sorted out on July 18. And if you couldn’t tell, I’ll be rooting for Joe.