The road to flyweight stability has been a rockier one than anyone could have expected.
When it became clear last year that Henry Cejudo was more interested in chasing a second title than defending the 125-pound belt, the next step was clear: Match up top contenders Deiveson Figueiredo and Joseph Benavidez for the title and move on.
If only it were that simple. Ahead of their first crack at the vacant title in February, Figueiredo missed weight, meaning only Benavidez was eligible to win it. Then Figueiredo beat Benavidez, meaning the title would remain vacant, and to further muddy up matters, there was evidence that an accidental headbutt contributed to Figueiredo finishing Benavidez.