For the third time in his career, Joseph Benavidez fell short in capturing UFC flyweight gold. Matched up against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Norfolk, he was stopped via TKO in the second round.
Benavidez was downed by a straight right hand to the chin and never recovered. But right before that sequence, he also clashed heads with Figueiredo, opening up a gash above his left eye.
Speaking to TSN’s Aaron Bronsteter, the 35-year-old veteran fighter admitted that the accidental headbutt played a role in the bout’s outcome.
“If the headbutt didn’t happen, I feel I was getting in a good groove,” Benavidez said (transcript by MMA Junkie).