Jussier Formiga vs. Joseph Benavidez Announced for UFC on ESPN 4

If the flyweight division is really going to die, then it is dying a very slow and beautiful death. Wednesday, the UFC announced what was loosely advertised to be a #1-contender bout for Henry Cejudo’s flyweight championship, with #1-ranked Jussier Formiga taking on Joseph Benavidez June 29 at UFC on ESPN 4 from the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

This will be the second time these two flyweights have faced off, with the first encounter taking place six years ago in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Joseph Benavidez got the better of Formiga, earning a TKO stoppage less than two minutes into the bout. Since that victory, Benavidez has continued to be a pillar of consistency, going on to win the next 8 out of 10 fights.

Joseph Benavidez has been one of the more vocal fighters about the need to keep the flyweight division alive while sharing his optimism that he expects that to happen. With the UFC putting together this #1-contender bout in a division that remains very much alive, the prognosis of the division appears to have at least several more months of life to look forward to.

Joseph Benavidez may hold a victory over Jussier Formiga, but Formiga sits comfortably as the #1 contender. The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has yet to receive a world title shot, but a win over Benavidez would earn Formiga four consecutive victories over back-to-back top-five opponents. Formida’s last victory came at the expense of Deiveson Figueiredo, who also had title aspirations prior to suffering the first loss of his MMA career at Formiga’s hands. During this winning streak, Formiga has also pulled together wins over Ben Nguyen, Ulka Sasaki, and a man who holds a victory over Joseph Benavidez: Sergio Pettis.

UFC on ESPN 4 is currently reported to be headlined by Tyron Woodley and Robbie Lawler in a rematch from their UFC 201 encounter in 2016.

Who do you believe will become the #1 contender for the flyweight championship? Joseph Benavidez or Jussier Formiga?

Related News

Top Stories

UFC Store

‘Dark Horse In The Division’ – Fans React As Jasmine Jasudavicius Wins First UFC Women’s Fight In Saudi Arabia

Jasmine Jasudavicius continues to come into her own, coming out on top in a...

UFC Fight Night: Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov Live Results & Highlights

The latest UFC Fight Night takes place Saturday in Saudi Arabia, and MMA News...

Ex-Fighter Says Israel Adesanya Has ‘Something To Prove’ At UFC Saudi Arabia After 2 Straight Losses

Israel Adesanya’s UFC journey has been filled with highs and lows, but his career...

Sean Strickland On Islam Makhachev’s Middleweight Hopes: ‘Stay In Your Weight Class!’

Sean Strickland intends to remind Islam Makhachev that the UFC's distinct weight classes exist...

Dana White Admits UFC Could ‘Move On’ From Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall

Fight fans were caught off guard when UFC CEO Dana White made a rare...

Israel Adesanya Weighs In On Sean Strickland’s ‘Silly’ Striking-Only Proposal For Dricus Du Plessis At UFC 312

Israel Adesanya isn’t buying into Sean Strickland’s stand-and-bang ultimatum for reigning UFC Middleweight Champion...

Yoel Romero Claims He Put Lyoto Machida Into A Coma With UFC Knockout

Yoel Romero has made a startling claim regarding former opponent Lyoto Machida. While he's now...

UFC Insider Predicts Serious Backlash For Bryce Mitchell’s Hitler-Sympathizing Remarks

Bryce Mitchell is unlikely to avoid the long-lasting consequences of his anti-Semitic comments, or...

Dana White On GFL: ‘I Think These Guys Are Blowing Real Cash’

Dana White has made it clear that he does not see the Global Fight...