UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo says he took Joseph Benavidez’s soul and closed the casket.
Figueiredo and Benavidez did battle in a rematch on July 18. The bout was contested for the vacant UFC flyweight championship. Figueiredo defeated Benavidez via TKO in the first bout but he didn’t win the 125-pound gold as he failed to make weight. This time, his weight was on point and Figueiredo obliterated Benavidez, choking him out in the opening frame to become the UFC flyweight champion.
Deiveson Figueiredo Feels He Took Joseph Benavidez’s Soul
Figueiredo spoke to MMAFighting following his title victory over Benavidez. The newly minted 125-pound king says he closed the casket (via Bloody Elbow).
“I knew that when I got the first knockdown he’d lose conscience of what was happening inside the cage and I’d be able to do whatever I wanted with him,” Figueiredo said of Benavidez in a post-fight interview with MMA Fighting. “And it happened. I knocked him down three times. His soul wasn’t in his body anymore. And then I took what was left and closed the casket.”
With the victory, Figueiredo scoops up his first UFC championship. He is now riding a four-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a loss since March 2019. That was a unanimous decision defeat to Jussier Formiga and it’s the only loss in his pro MMA career up to this point.
Figueiredo has been building his resume and hopes to prove he’s the gold standard at flyweight for years to come. He’s beaten Benavidez twice, Tim Elliott, and Alexandre Pantoja just to name a few. Time will tell who is next for Figueiredo. Names such as Brandon Moreno and Askar Askarov are at the top of the list. One can’t rule out a potential move down for former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt either.
