The undefeated Brazilian flyweight was slated to face Benavidez on Jan. 26, before the promotion eventually decided to cancel UFC 233. Matchmakers tried to move the contest to the Jan. 19 card in Brooklyn, but it would be too soon for Figueiredo.
Benavidez went on to face — and defeat — Dustin Ortiz at UFC Brooklyn, making that two wins in a row for him, but Figueiredo told MMA Fighting he still feels they should meet in the Octagon one day.
”I owe Benavidez a fight, and I hope it happens,” said Figueiredo, who has been training at Team Alpha Male — Benavidez’s former team in California — for almost a year.