Benavidez faces new challenge at 125 pounds
Posted March 1, 2012 4:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Since top bantamweight contender Demetrious (Mighty Mouse) Johnson began making waves in the WEC, a potential matchup between him and Joseph Benavidez has been talked about because most men believed they were natural flyweights.
But because the UFC had no 125-pound division and the two were having success fighting bigger men — much like former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar, who seems more naturally suited for featherweight — they stayed at 135 pounds.
That’s no longer an issue. This weekend in Australia the UFC debuts its new flyweight division with two semi-final fights of a mini-tournament on the main card of UFC on FX 2 in Australia.
Watch live Friday as Sportsnet ONE will air 10 fights starting at 6 p.m. ET with the preliminary card and 9-11 p.m. ET with the main card.
If Benavidez gets by his first opponent, Japan’s Yasuhiro Urushitani — and there’s no reason why he shouldn’t — it would set up a fight with Johnson should he also beat his opponent Ian McCall.
If Johnson were to lose, though, Benavidez would meet McCall, whom he has briefly trained with in the past.
But if that matchup does occur it won’t feel like he’s fighting a teammate.
“We just sparred one time at Mark Munoz’s gym,” said Benavidez. “This was awhile back. We were actually hanging the whole time. We met at the gym and got in a few rounds of wrestling and sparring …
“Training has nothing to do with (fighting). I don’t feel (training with him) really changes things. It was so long ago. It would be great to meet him in the final. I really respect his fighting style, so if we met in the final it would be awesome.”
Since Benavidez has two losses to Cruz it’s unlikely he would get a third crack at him, so a title shot was unrealistic. The 27-year-old has a better opportunity to strap on UFC gold in this new weight class, one he’s glad people now get to watch at the UFC level.
“If you look at the divisions, it gets more active, more exciting as the weights go down,” Benavidez said. “(The division’s popularity is) going to take time like anything else. You look at the heavier divisions and the bigger names. I don’t think they’re more popular because they’re more exciting fights. It’s pretty much a factor they’re not as exciting, it’s just they’ve been around just that much longer. The 35s, and 45s and 55s are pretty new. Now these divisions are getting super popular. It’s only a matter of time.
“You see the fight, you have to respect it. It’s just a matter of getting the eyes on it and appreciating it.”
I was thinking…
— Thiago Alves is going to win his second consecutive fight by knockout when he fights Martin Kampmann in the main event at UFC on FX 2.
— Canadian Nick Penner will win in his UFC debut and spoil the party for Australia’s Anthony Perosh.
— If the UFC is ever looking for new people to put together event trailers they could look to the fans. Check out this really cool fan-made trailer for Silva-Sonnen 2
— Whenever the UFC holds an event outside the United States, they should have a guest Octagon girl from that country, just like they did in Japan for UFC 144. Think about it. I know I will.
