A flyweight division attraction is going to be headlining UFC Fight Night Norfolk as #1 Joseph Benavidez faces #3 Deiveson Figueiredo.
Cole Shelton of BJPenn.com first reported the bout, which Shelton reports is going to be for either the UFC Flyweight Title or UFC Interim Flyweight Title. Shelton reports that whether or not the UFC strips Henry Cejudo of the UFC Flyweight Championship will determine if the bout is for the interim title or the regular title. MMA Junkie reports that Cejudo will indeed be stripped of the title.
Benavidez (28-5-0) comes into the bout riding a three fight winning streak, defeating the trio of Alex Perez, Dustin Ortiz and Jussier Formiga. Benavidez hasn’t suffered a defeat in well over a year, with that last loss coming to Sergio Pettis at UFC 225. Benavidez has twice before challenged for the UFC Flyweight Title, losing to then champion Demetrious Johnson at UFC 152 and UFC On Fox 9.
Figueiredo (17-1-0) enters the contest riding a two fight winning streak, having defeated Alexandre Pantoja and Tim Elliott. Figueiredo has suffered a single defeat as a professional MMA fighter and that came to Jussier Formiga at UFC Fight Night Nashville. Figueiredo has competed a total of eighteen times as a professional MMA fighter and four of those encounters went the distance.
UFC Fight Night Norfolk takes place on Saturday, February 29 from the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia with Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on ESPN+.
