Joseph Benavidez (photo via YouTube)

By FCF Staff

Joseph Benavidez won’t face Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title like he initially wanted, but the flyweight contender is just fine fighting Deiveson Figueiredo for the belt instead.

For months, Benavidez pushed for a fight with Cejudo, but ultimately the bantamweight champ elected to vacate the flyweight title. Now Benavidez is booked to fight Figueiredo for the title on February 29th.

During a recent episode of the UFC’s podcast, Benavidez had this to say, while discussing the fact he will not fight Cejudo for the belt (quotes via MMA Junkie):

“It’s almost like an undisputed or whatever because I already beat Cejudo,” Benavidez said. “Figueiredo is challenging me, whatever you want to look at it. Basically, a title is a title. The goal wasn’t to beat a certain person, it was to win a title, and that’s happening. This one, I think in any other, like, way this could have happened, you could ask these questions, that it could be but, having already beat Cejudo, who vacated it, at the end of the day, he’s the one not putting up a fight, not trying to avenge the loss.”

“Like I said, the title’s the title,” Benavidez said. “I already beat the guy that has it now. The way I look at it is he gave it up without even a fight.”

Benavidez fought Cejudo in December, 2016, and won the fight via split decision.