Joseph Benavidez knew that his rematch with Deiveson Figueiredo was life or death if he ever wanted to become a UFC champion.
After falling short on three previous attempts to win the title, the 35-year veteran understood that a fourth chance was already a surprising turn of events in a sport where most wrestlers never come close to a championship once in their careers. Sadly, Benavidez fell short once again after suffering a first-round loss of submission in the UFC Fight Island 2 main event on Saturday night.
As he struggled to hold back the tears, Benavidez, obviously heartbroken, tried to verbalize the emotions that were going through his head just minutes after the fight ended.
“It is strange,” Benavidez said at the post-fight press conference. “I have died going mad 100 times, what is another death? It is different because I know I did everything well in preparation. I did not take any shortcut.
“I felt good there. I felt focused and present, even without a crowd. The fights go fast but I could see small movements, I felt concentrated. That’s the hard part. The last time was devastating because I couldn’t control it. It was out of my control. Entering this fight, I just want a fair fight. I wanted the guy to get fat again and I don’t want anything strange to happen. He went out and showed that he was the best guy. It’s hard. You cannot sit here and feel sorry for yourself.
An accidental clash of heads precipitated Figueiredo’s knockout over Benavidez when they met in February, but because the Brazilian was unable to gain weight, he was ineligible to become a flyweight champion.
The rematch was booked almost immediately afterward and this time Figueiredo left no questions. He reached the finish line on the ladder on Friday and then came after Benavidez like a saw on Saturday until he landed the first round submission to finally claim the 125-pound title.
“I feel humble here. Impressed by him ”, said Benavidez about Figueiredo. “Thankful I had the opportunity to go out and show what I prepared for. It is crazy. I am walking, there is light outside, they make me points in a van as if life came quickly.
“I am in an empty arena in Abu Dhabi at two in the morning at a hotel, they send me here and now it is six in the morning and I just beat myself up. It’s crazy. “
After 35 professional fights and five attempts to become champion between UFC and World Extreme Cagefighting, Benavidez has seen a lot during his career, that is why it is so difficult for him to address where he is going from here.
In his mind, he knows there will never be another shot at the title, but Benavidez refuses to withdraw from the sport knowing that a loss to Figueiredo will be the last record on his record.
“My goal in this sport is to be the best, to be the champion,” said Benavidez. “I knew that the last fight was my last title attempt. It wasn’t because of circumstances, but this one was. I wasn’t fighting in this sport from the start for any reason other than being the best. I’ve been close I’ve been lucky I’ve been in the top two for 11 years in two weight classes. It was a crazy trip. It has been amazing.
“I’m not going out like this. Nothing is guaranteed in this sport for sure. But I’m not going to have another shot at the title and I don’t want to get away with it. I just want to go out with another fight. After that, there is nothing else I can do. I will not beat 10 boys again. I know that was my last shot at the title, but as I just said, I don’t want to go out there. “
Benavidez says his plan if he became a champion was to fight and defend the title as much as possible, but even if he lost the belt, he would win one more before retiring. It seems even without the title, that will be your plan to move on.
“If I lose, I will fight again until I win,” Benavidez said. “So that’s where I am.”
